In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
Don't know.
Even more strange it hasn't happened since:
There's a blatant need, plenty of climbers in and around Stoke
There's plenty of run down factories that could be used, and I bet they're cheap to buy too (the houses are cheap enough - I should know as I'm buying one!)
Stoke is right on the M6, so easy to access for those further afield, and it's on the way to a lot of places.
It makes sense really!