Plan for 204 new apartments in Greater Manchester city waiting on decision

Plans for two apartment blocks totalling 204 homes in Salford’s major regeneration area are still under consultation with city planners. The scheme close to Middlewood Locks is a joint venture between the Canal and Rivers Trust and Bloc and has been branded H20.

It is seeking to redevelop a car park site off Oldfield Road and Upper Wharf Street. Detailed plans for the scheme are on the Salford city council planning portal and are classed as ‘under consultation’ after being submitted on October 12.

This followed a period of public consultation which began five months ago but which has now closed. There are other buildings in the area – built in the recent past – and make up part of the Crescent Conservation Area and the Adelphi Bexley Square Conservation Area.

A design and access statement prepared  by architects AHR Ltd says: “The Crescent represents one of the UK’s most exciting regeneration opportunities and builds upon the successful renaissance of Salford in recent years as a key component of the Northern Powerhouse.”

The application is for two buildings of 11 and seven storeys, providing 204 apartments, and a linear car park, secure cycle storage, landscaping and ‘associated works’.

“The proposed site is extremely well connected to a number of major transport hubs,” the statement says. “Salford Central railway station is a 15 minute walk from the site and Salford Crescent railway station is just over 10 minutes walk from the site. 

“Manchester city centre is only 20 minutes walk from the site offering multiple employment, cultural, retail and leisure opportunities for potential residents. The area has the potential to be a world class, globally recognised destination for people to live, learn, work, visit and play. 

“It is proposed that the Crescent will become a vibrant residential-led mixed-use community comprising a varied range of medium to high-density housing together with other community and leisure uses.”

Approval or otherwise of the plans will be undertaken by Salford’s planning and transportation regulatory panel. Salford’s Central Masterplan is a 20-year regeneration initiative. It is one of the UK’s largest development projects, ranking 25th in Planning magazine’s 2013 survey of the country’s 100 biggest regeneration projects. 

The city council is working on the development with English Cities Fund (ECF), a joint venture company consisting of Muse Developments, Legal and General and the Homes and Communities Agency. The masterplan is made up of two inter-dependent but distinct areas – Chapel Street and New Bailey. 

Town hall bosses say the scheme has the capacity to provide £650 million investment; 11,000 new jobs; 197,000sqm of commercial space; 24,000sqm of retail and leisure space; 849 new homes; 390 hotel rooms; new car parking; improved pedestrian and cyclist routes and new public open spaces.