The Hard Hat Hi-Vis tour: Middlewood Locks, Salford
What’s the scheme? Middlewood Locks, the £1 billion mixed use scheme and new neighbourhood under development in Salford.
Who’s behind that? Middlewood Locks is a joint venture being delivered by regeneration experts Scarborough Group International (SGI) and main contractors BCEGI, with Metro Holdings Limited, a Singapore-listed property development and investment group, and Hualing Group, based in Urumqui, Xinjiang, in China.
Who are we with? Nicola Wallis, sales and marketing director and Dan Giles, construction manager.
What it will look like
Whereabouts in Salford? So close to Manchester city centre, apparently 7 minutes walk from Spinningfields. Even on a misty day we had a great view of the new Factory arts centre and the Ordsall Chord rail link.
What’s the history? It was identified as a key strategic development opportunity more than twenty years ago, the 25-acre brownfield site where Middlewood Locks now stands has already become a new mixed-use neighbourhood, directly connecting Salford to Manchester city centre, also with a mixture of tenures, build-to-rent and purchase.
How developed is it now? It is now home to over 2,000 residents in 1,117 apartments, supported by amenities, public realm. Seven Bro7hers Beer House, 92 Degrees Coffee Shop and a Co-op convenience store – or as my tour guide Nicola Wallis describes it – “a growing community within an established oasis of green spaces along the canal.”
Mmmm, more concrete blocks of soulless apartments? No, really interesting designs, good use of brick fascias and a mix of townhouses, apartments and mews houses. And in July this year SGI launched a brand-new show apartment to showcase the quality of the specification with the interior styling and furnishings designed and supplied by John Lewis.
“Our offer is different, we put a lot of emphasis on the public realm, the waterside features, the balconies, it all contributes to a feeling of a busy neighbourhood. Most of our residents don’t have cars and those that do are underground.
“We have pop markets, a quiz night at the Seven Brothers bar, yoga, PT. Middlewood Locks has always been designed to have community at the heart of it,” she says.
Is the building of apartments for Chinese investors a sign of Manchester’s appeal globally? Kevin McCabe, chairman at SGI (yes, the one who owned Sheffield United) said, “Our strong links with the far east, in terms of our joint venture partners and principal contractor, alongside our mutually beneficial collaborations with key stakeholders such as Salford City Council and Homes England, have helped us to make a vision into a successful and economically viable reality and we are thankful to all that have been involved.
“Middlewood Locks is a major undertaking for us and I am pleased to say greatly supports the regional economy with strong job creation and ultimately much needed new homes in the city.”
SGI claim that after seven years under development the scheme has already made a considerable economic impact, supporting around 6,000 jobs with the total local economic benefit to the Greater Manchester sub-region for phases one and two at £260 million.
What’s next? The site we looked at is called “Railings” and will include a restaurant space (think Northern Quarter or Ancoats brands) and a mixture of 189 houses and apartments. The part of Ordsall Road that currently runs from Chapel Street and under the railway line and towards Regent Road and through the site will be closed, giving the site more of an enclosed village feel.
“Future plans include the development of the remaining 10-acre plot that connects to Manchester city centre through the arches with outline planning consent already in place to deliver more new homes alongside two Grade A office blocks, a multi-storey car park and a new hotel with further amenity and public realm,” Nicola Wallis says.
