Blueoak Estates outlines £20m office-to-resi conversion in Trafford
Sale Point off Washway Road is due to become 79 apartments, with the developer eyeing an early 2025 project start date.
Blueoak Estates is looking to convert the 50,300 sq ft office block at 126-150 Washway Road in Sale into a mixture of one- and two-bedroom apartments. Its plans also include a bolstering of the 1970s building’s sustainable credentials through the addition of solar panels and a kinetic energy recovery heat pump system.
The scheme also includes retaining 79 parking spaces for residents to park on site, as well as a full cycle storage provision.
Blueoak has described the conversion as representing a £20m investment. Pritchard Architectural Design has been recruited to draw up the plans.
“Sale Point is a fantastic scheme that will undoubtedly bring a good number of high-end apartments to the area, reinventing this large commercial building within a highly prominent location,” said Ian MacLean, Blueoak’s managing director.
Blueoak has leaned heavily into office-to-residential conversion, submitting plans for a similar scheme in Chester earlier this month. A £22m conversion of Alexander House in Old Trafford by Blueoak completed last summer.
MacLean said: “Whilst many developers opt for demolition, our vision is to transform existing buildings into high-quality homes, carefully selected for their location and potential.
“This approach not only preserves the integrity of the original structure but also significantly reduces our environmental impact, capturing carbon by reimagining rather than rebuilding. In doing so, we create homes that are both beautiful and sustainable.”
Current tenants at the six-storey Sale Point are set to vacate at the start of 2025, enabling work to begin. The programme is estimated to take 12 months.
Blueoak is currently awaiting a decision from Trafford Council to see if prior approval is required for the proposed change of use. Asteer Planning, Philip Dunbavin Acoustics, and CBO Transport aided in this application. You can view it for yourself by searching reference number 114592/PMA/24 on Trafford Council’s planning portal.
I think this is a great re-use of a building. It’s completely out of place for offices.
By Anon