Major update on Greater Manchester flats development with no parking or affordable homes
A plan for new homes in Salford city centre based around a green courtyard are set to get the go-ahead next week.
A total of 185 apartments could be built in phase two of the Farmer Norton car park development, based on land by Adelphi Street and Peru Street.
It is part of the Adelphi Village masterplan in the wider £2.5bn Salford Crescent regeneration project, led by developer ECF, Salford council, and Salford University.
Salford council planners have recommended phase two of the Farmer Norton scheme be approved at a meeting on December 18.
If built, it would bring a mix of 117 one-bed apartments, 63 two-bed apartments, and five three-bedroom apartments to the area.
A planning report explained that no parking is proposed within the boundary of phase two of the development, but eight accessible spaces planned in phase one are set to serve groundfloor accessible homes in the second phase of the scheme.
None of the new homes in phase two are set to be designated as ‘affordable’ housing, which is homes priced below market rates.
This is because an affordability assessment found the development ‘cannot support any planning obligations or affordable housing contributions’.
A council report stated: ‘The viability of the scheme will be reassessed at a later date and level of contribution increased should the viability of the scheme improve.’
The first section of work at Farmer Norton is set to bring 42 three-bedroom townhouses to the city.
The Farmer Norton scheme was criticised in September because it was decided that the 42 townhouses in phase one would be sold on the open market rather than at ‘affordable’ rates as first proposed.
This change was put down to a ‘viability gap’ in the financing.
Leader of Salford council’s Conservative opposition group, Coun Bob Clarke, said at the time: “Given that ‘affordable’ is defined as 80 per cent of market value, these homes will remain inaccessible to many residents.”
Max Bentham, development director at ECF, responded: “Affordable and sustainable housing is an integral part of the Crescent Salford masterplan.
“Farmer Norton phase one will form part of the wider Adelphi Village, which also includes Willohaus – 100 affordable, Passivhaus certified apartments which are currently under construction along with further phases of the community which will move to affordable tenure.”
There are major concerns about affordable housing in Salford, after a council report in August showed that homeless prevention cases are growing, with 1,590 opened in the last 12 months, up from 1,487 in 2023/24.
Figures from Salford council in March revealed 1,146 children in the borough were living in temporary accommodation, a jump from a previous total of 329 in April 2021.
The council explained in August that it is focused on preventing people ending up on the streets.
The report on homeless prevention cases stated: “This shows that more people are approaching for help/being referred at an earlier stage when homelessness is threatened rather than later when they are already homeless.
“This is indicative of an improved awareness around homelessness prevention and the need to act early is proving effective.”
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