£105m mixed-tenure development approved in Salford’s first virtual planning committee

Two brownfield sites overlooking the River Irwell are set to be transformed into 500 apartments for sale and private rent after a £105m development was approved by Salford City Council in the local authority’s first ever virtual planning committee today (May 14).

During the planning session, Cllr Derek Antrobus said: “This scheme sits nicely in the vision that we had, very pleased with attention given to delivering biodiversity and a net gain. Very importantly it’s contributing to our ambition to make access to the river even better than it is at the moment.”

The consent was secured across two adjacent sites by developer Eutopia Homes, which has a £365m pipeline of mid-market homes for rent and for sale in key regional cities across the UK.

Eutopia Homes acquired the sites in two separate transactions in December 2019 with funding from Chenavari Investment Managers.

With a combined site area of 2.8 acres the development is located close to Exchange Quay and is just a short distance east of MediaCityUK, a major hub for UK film and television.

Designed by award-winning Darling Architects, which recently opened a Manchester office, the 500 homes will be spread over two E-shaped blocks and range from one- to three-bedrooms in size.

The rental apartments have been designed specifically for rent and tenants will benefit from on-site professional management, removing much of the hassle traditionally associated with renting.

By providing a mix of mid-priced homes for rent and sale and a range of apartment sizes, Eutopia Homes is looking to cater to a broad range of demographics, including young families, recent graduates and professionals working in MediaCityUK and beyond.

Eutopia Homes Salford project will have access to a mix of indoor and outdoor communal areas for residents to relax in.

Future residents will also benefit from on-site provision of secure parking, with 142 car spaces, 24 motorcycle spaces and 544 bike spaces provided, which will be split evenly across the two blocks.

In addition to the new housing, the development will provide an £850,000 contribution to an improved bus service to Manchester city centre.

New green spaces, trees and hard and soft landscaping will all contribute to a net gain in biodiversity, while the riverside will be opened up thanks to new eight-metre-wide footways open for public use.

The development will also make a significant contribution to the local economy, as Salford looks to bounce back post-coronavirus.

It is claimed that the construction phase alone will deliver a £68m economic boost and create more than 600 jobs, and once the homes are fully occupied local businesses will be able to tap into an estimated £13m in added annual household expenditure.

Scott Hammond, founder and chief executive at Eutopia Homes, said: “Coronavirus has caused a huge amount of upheaval and local authorities have been particularly hard hit by the disruption and so we are grateful to Salford City Council for its flexibility and willingness to embrace new ways of working so we could take this development forward.

“The council has demonstrated a speed of decision making in difficult times which is testament to the desire to attract inward investment.”

He added: “Our plans will open up the riverside through new pathways and green spaces while also providing much needed housing that can cater to a broad range of demographics thanks to the range in apartment sizes and mix of tenures.

“These will be high-quality homes but still within reach to the local workforce price-wise.”