Masterplan will transform Salford’s A6 corridor and beyond
An £800m masterplan to create a new city district between Manchester’s central business District and Salford’s MediaCityUK has been agreed.
A blue print to transform the University of Salford campus and surrounding areas, has been agreed between the University and Salford City Council.
The plan sets out a vision for the next two decades enhancing connections with surrounding neighbourhoods and communities and tapping in to the area’s unique potential to deliver an unrivalled place to learn, live, work and visit.
The joint approach will link education with local industry, arts, culture, heritage and residential across 240 acres offering one of the largest investment and development opportunities in the region.
Designed by 5plus Architects it identifies three ‘zones’ of investment: the Adelphi and Crescent neighbourhood; Peel Park and Frederick Road (Main University Campus); and the Frederic Road North Industrial Collaboration Zone.
Across an area extending to 240 acres (99ha) it has the potential to deliver:
· £800m investment opportunity
· 2,500 residential new build – apartments and houses and
· 300,000 sq ft of modern student residential accommodation
· 25 hectares of transformed, historic parkland – more green space than found in the whole of Manchester City Centre and the 2 football grounds combined
· 1.6 million sq ft of new commercial innovation floorspace for industrial growth sectors – building on the university’s industrial Collaboration Zones (ICZs) in digital and creative, engineering and environments, sport and health, wellbeing and society
· 1.1 million sq ft of new educational floorspace within a 21st century campus with new leisure facilities
· New hotel and bespoke conferencing suite
· 2,000 space multi storey car parks across the neighbourhood
· A new school
· Local retail & health services
· New commercial arts workspaces, live- work accommodation for Salford’s creatives, public facing, inspiring culture
· Nearly 2 million sq ft of public realm, green landscaped routes, 5 miles of running tracks, 1.5miles of cycleways and 1,000 trees
· Ensuring the future of six heritage buildings
Helen Marshall, vice chancellor of the University of Salford, said: “These exciting plans for The Crescent represent the next step of a journey that started with the construction of the first of our university buildings – the Peel Building – in 1896.”
Salford City MayorPaul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, said: “The City of Salford has attracted billions of pounds of private sector investment in the last decade and delivered nationally important regeneration projects that have brought new industries, new training and development opportunities and new jobs to the city.
“The combined assets of the city and the university around The Crescent present a huge opportunity for the continued growth of the city linking education with enterprise and industry and arts, culture, heritage and community.”
5plus director Tony Skipper, said: “This is a vast area with a lot of existing assets, from transport connections to heritage buildings to green space. Our brief was to unlock this potential to create one city district that will play a significant role in the economic and cultural life of Salford.”
Further details of the masterplan will be showcased at MIPIM, the international property conference taking place in Cannes next week.
