Telecom House, Stoke on Trent

Telecom House is a large office building on Trinity Street in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, originally developed during the expansion of Britain’s telecommunications network in the 1980s. Built around 1984 for British Telecom (BT), the seven-storey complex became one of the city’s most recognisable modern office buildings and a major local employment centre.

The building was designed in a practical postwar commercial style, with concrete and glass construction intended to house large numbers of administrative and telecommunications staff. For many years it served as a regional hub for BT operations in the Midlands, reflecting the importance of telecommunications infrastructure during the late twentieth century. Its central location near Hanley bus station and the city centre made it a prominent landmark within Stoke-on-Trent.

During the 2000s and 2010s, changes in the telecommunications industry and the rise of digital working gradually reduced the need for large office spaces. BT scaled back its presence in the building, and some floors were leased to other commercial tenants, including call-centre businesses. Occupancy steadily declined, and by the early 2020s Telecom House was largely vacant.

Ownership of the property passed to TT Group through wider BT property agreements involving Telereal Trillium, which acquired many former BT buildings across the UK. As office demand in Hanley weakened, the future of Telecom House became uncertain. Developers and property agents began promoting the site for redevelopment as part of wider regeneration efforts in Stoke-on-Trent.

In 2025, Stoke-on-Trent City Council approved plans to convert the vacant office block into 99 residential apartments, including studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats. The scheme aims to preserve the building’s presence in Hanley while giving it a new purpose as housing, reflecting broader changes in urban redevelopment and the reuse of former commercial buildings across the UK.