£650m blueprint to revitalise Salford revealed

AN AMBITIOUS £650m plan to revitalise Salford was revealed today.

Dwarfing the landmark MediaCity;UK development in terms of scale, the proposals cover more than 17 hectares and would breath new life into the Chapel Street corridor.

Plans were submitted to Salford Council by the English Cities Fund and the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company.

The proposed development – the size of 21 international football pitches – includes 860 new homes, public realm, 197,000sq metres of office space and two hotels.

A new square, St Johns Place, is planned to maximise the view of the newly renovated Salford Cathedral. 

A new commercial quarter will make the most of Salford’s strategic location next to Spinningfields and the corporate heart of Manchester.

Phil Mayall of English Cities Fund, said: “This mixed-use scheme will encourage the development of a sustainable community, capturing benefits for both the neighbouring and wider Salford areas.  It is an important first step on the road to regenerating what was formerly the civic heart of Salford. “

Chris Farrow, chief executive of Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, said: “The vision for Central Salford is to regenerate this important area of the city, to help diversify its economic base and to bring in new activity.

“We want to create a vibrant, urban centre with striking economic opportunity born out of the city’s fine heritage which will showcase its many historical and natural assets.

“Alongside this we will be providing a mix of quality family homes and apartments and attracting new business in whilst retaining and building on the creative industries that are already established.

“We’ve always appreciated that whilst MediaCityUK ‘makes us famous’’, our regeneration of Chapel Street is what the URC will be judged by.”