City's £1bn development revealed

It is hoped new businesses will be attracted to the city

Stoke-on-Trent is set to be improved thanks to £1bn worth of investment.

More than 100 businesses and 8,500 new jobs will be created and 3,200 new homes built as part of the initiative, the city council said.

The authority will discuss a report, which includes a timetable for completing four major city centre projects, on Thursday.

About £15m will be spent regenerating the towns of Burslem, Longton, Tunstall and Stoke.

It is hoped national and international companies will be attracted into the Central Business District, which is surrounded by Broad Street, Warner Street and the ring road.

A preferred developer in that area will be appointed by the end of the year.

New bus station

The city's elected mayor, Labour's Mark Meredith, said: "Our plan now that we're putting to the city council next week has an absolutely rock solid foundation."

Work will start in April 2009 in the Public Realm area - the shopping and commercial part of the city centre - which will include adding new public spaces.

A bus station in Hanley will be rebuilt as a new shopping area, with work due to start by April 2010. And a new bus station will be developed on the site of the John Street car park.

In the University Quarter, three institutions - Keele, Staffordshire University and Stoke-on-Trent College - are working together on a £189m project.

The college is to be rebuilt and tied in with the other two.

More than £1bn in investment is being provided by the council and the private sector for the schemes.