2,000 home community plan gets go-ahead

PLANS for a new community of 2,000 new homes and 750,000sq ft of mixed-used development space have been given the go ahead by Salford City Council.

The McCabe family’s Scarborough Group International has been given the thumbs up for the project at Middlewood Locks, the western gateway to Manchester’s central business district.

Middlewood, which has a gross development value exceeding £575m, is being developed by FairBriar International, a joint venture between Scarborough, Top Spring International Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed real estate developer in China and Metro Holdings, a Singapore-listed property development group.

The Locks which is centred around three large basins of the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal, will provide a new community along with space for offices, shops, delis, restaurants, a convenience store and a gym. Start on the site is anticipated later this year.

There will be a mix of home types and sizes available to help cater for a wide mix of occupiers from first time buyers, families to ‘empty nesters’.

The homes will be designed in a way to make the most of the landscaping incorporating private and public spaces. Part of the landscaping strategy is to connect the green spaces with the canal, incorporate a woodland theme and an adventure playground to accommodate the new community.

Zerum represented Scarborough as planning consultants and will continue to support Scarborough with other upcoming planning submissions.

Director of Scarborough, Simon McCabe said: “We are pleased to have received this planning consent for Middlewood Locks, which is a real vote of support for our plans to create a new mixed-use community in one of the UK’s most vibrant, cosmopolitan and progressive cities.

“Middlewood Locks is ideally located, just a short work from the central business district and retail amenities, so we are confident that this project will be a huge success and create a fantastic community environment for its future residents.”