An extraordinary "virtual tour" complete with stunning drone shots has gone on display as JCB unveiled new plans for the future of its former Uttoxeter town centre factory site.
Scores of intrigued visitors headed for Bear Coffee Co on Saturday, October 28, to see the latest designs for the development being built at the old Heavy Products factory site.
New images and diagrams were put up in the Uttoxeter coffee shop, with JCB representatives on hand to talk people through the new designs.
Videos were displayed showing drone footage from above the 22-acre site and panning around a three-dimensional artist's impression of what it will look like when developed.
Visitor Richard Crutchley said he was keen on the modern design of the houses and was pleased progress was being made with the project.
The Sudbury resident said: "I think the development is long overdue now and, whatever I'd seen today, it would have been better than what's there now.
"I quite like the modern style of the housing that's been shown - I'm not so fussed about sticking to the redbrick Victorian style that much of the town has."
But Bob Middleton, from Uttoxeter, thought the housing could look out of place next to the more traditional style of many town centre buildings.
He said: "Uttoxeter is a red brick town and I'd prefer to see houses more in keeping with that.
"The best feature is the park going along the brook and the whole thing will be a real asset to the town."
The new design comes nine years after outline planning permission was given to redevelop the land - including the adjoining industrial estate - with housing, park land, ecological space and business units.
Part of the site was redeveloped to house Waitrose, which opened in 2016, while underground remedial work has been carried out elsewhere.
But JCB faced a stumbling block last year when East Staffordshire Borough Council decided against enforcing a compulsory purchase order on the industrial estate land.
This meant the digger giant has had to re-think the project - and has split it into two phases.
Phase one will see 108 houses built on the area of land west of Pinfold Street, while the area south of the brook, which used to be the factory's coal yard, will include 30 new flats and houses.
There will also be an environmental area and park along the brook, which has had ecological work undertaken to clean its water as it passes through.
The area east of Pinfold Street and north of Picknall Brook will make up phase two of the regeneration plan, which is yet to be designed.
James Ingestre, general manager of Bamford Property, said: "We've been out to market and have already had expressions of interest from developers who want to take the scheme forward.
"It's very much a project being led by Lord Bamford and he's involved in every aspect of how it develops.
"Any developer would be pleased to develop the site - there's a railway station nearby, a Waitrose next door and easy access to all the facilities in town centre.
"You could park your car up at the end of the week and not have to get back in it until Monday morning.
"And we're keen not to just make a load of four-bed houses where everyone leaves at 8am and comes back at 6pm every day.
"We want a range of housing, including one-and-two-bed properties suitable for first-time buyers, right up to five-bed family homes and everything in between.
"We've got a park on the site and we'd like there to be a real sense of community among those who live there.
"The important thing to emphasize about today is that the houses in our images are not going to look like they do in the pictures - they're just initial designs that will be subject to change.
"While we want them to have a modern feel, we're going to try to ensure they're in a style people in Uttoxeter are happy with."
