Controversial £1bn Salford skyscrapers face date with destiny
Henley Investment Management’s plans to redevelop Regent Retail Park into 3,300 homes, a scheme that includes a proposal for the UK’s tallest tower outside of London, must prevail over an army of objectors if they are to secure approval next Thursday.
Salford City Council’s planning team has recommended the contentious project for approval despite dissent from locals, Ordsall councillors, and Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, who has been an outspoken critic of the plans.
The city council said the project, which features 10 buildings – the tallest being 70 storeys – more than 100,000 sq ft of commercial and community floorspace and a 3.5-acre public park, would result in “efficient use of an underused site”.
Read the full Salford City Council report
At the time of writing, 456 objections to the scheme have been lodged with the local authority.
Since Henley first unveiled its vision in 2023, local residents have voiced their concerns about the impact it would have on highways and air quality, as well as highlighting the loss of retail provision, the height of the buildings, and the number of homes proposed as worries.
Objectors also raised concerns about the level of affordable housing proposed within the development.
A statement provided by planning consultant Savills in the last week reiterates that the viability of the scheme is tight but adds that Henley has agreed to provide “a material number of affordable homes as part of the development” subject to grant funding.
Tall buildings would bookend the development. Credit: consultation materials
Henley has maintained throughout that the central, well-connected nature of the site lends itself to high-density development and insisted it has considered the surrounding community from the outset.
This includes pledging to reprovide the retail space to be lost through demolition of existing units and offering existing tenants like TK Maxx and Home Bargains a place in the new scheme.
A group of protestors from the Save Regent Retail Park campaign group plan to picket next Thursday’s planning committee meeting.
Hattie Charlier-Poole, senior development manager at Henley Investment Management said: “We are delighted that planning officers have recommended our Regent Park proposals for approval. This is a strong endorsement of a scheme that has been shaped through extensive
consultation with residents and stakeholders, and we believe it offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a district centre that Salford can be proud of.
“We’ve always aimed to build more than just homes. We want to deliver a neighbourhood with real character and a sense of community, where new homes, jobs and green spaces are integrated into Ordsall. We look forward to the application being considered by members and to hopefully deliver a development that is truly fit for the future.”
To learn more about the project, search for reference number PA/2024/0962 on Salford City Council’s planning portal.
The project team comprises Savills as planning consultant and Buro Four as PM. Matt Brook Architects is leading on design and LDA Design is advising on landscape.
Other firms working on the scheme include: Trium, AKT II, HDR, OFR, Twin & Eearth, Vectos, Lexington Communications, Turley, Trooper’s Hill, Gardiner & Theobald, Hann Tucker, Project Four Safety, Sweco, GIA Surveyors, JLL, Disrkt, Tim Cole, Temple, Roger Hannah, and Mode Visuals.
Surely if Salford reject based on some locals not wanting the dated retail park to be replaced, as the owners of the site they can simply wind down and shutter up the retail park anyway. It’s not as if they are obliged to keep it as is.
By Andrew
Putting the UK’s tallest tower in this location is the clue that these are not a realistic set of proposals.
Henley Investment Management are not long term place makers. Having produced proposals to densify this site with a residential led scheme they will secure planning next week and then either flip the whole site or break it up and sell plots off on an individual basis. Let’s all wait and see!
By Anonymous
Not sure it would get built if permission is granted, but the proposal seems suitable to the location and will create more much needed homes and the current businesses will be relocated and we get a park instead of expansive surface carparking.
By GetItBuilt!
What are these people objecting to? Is their view of Eccles about to be spoilt? It is a miracle we can get anything built in this country, with these whingers. The city region is booming, big international companies are moving here, their staff want places to live. They are complaining that a tatty retail park will go and be replaced by a new green space, and the existing shops will be updated. Get it built, get the jobs created this will bring and stop pandering to these NIMBYS.
By Elephant
The arguments against this development are absolutely ludicrous in relation to the benefits and catalyst for further growth this scheme could have
By Verticality
Greedy, opportunistic and fairly ridiculous scheme in my humble opinion. Just because you say ‘placemaking’ repeatedly, if doesn’t make it a good place to be.
By Mike
Hilarious all the outcry over this when its got 0 chance of being built with this developer
By Bob
I like it! Hopefully it gets approved, 3,300 extra homes for young professionals in an area that is walkable to the city centre is of great benefit.
By MC
Typical small minded Salfordians.
By W mcneill
I thought the proposed Nobu building in Manchester was 76 storeys and 246 metres tall.
This one is 70 storeys.
By Peter Chapman
It’s a good site and could be a decent scheme but trying to get away with no affordable housing (oh sorry a “material amount”) is nonsense. Viability assessments are a dark art to put it euphemistically, and the six page document submitted is a desert of evidence. With a GDV of £1 billion they can definitely afford an AH contribution and trying to do without it just stinks of greed.
By Almoravid
Salfordians were here first, it’s their land
By Anonymous
These objectors are nimbys, they have a right to not want this proposal in their back yard of course but the reasons of simply not wanting it aren’t sufficient. All thats there now is a run down retail park thats ripe for development. If you live in a central city location like this then you should expect this sort of future development. Plenty of people are quick to say Manchester doesnt need more skyscrapers yet to me the city is the perfect place for them, it seems developmers are thinking the same.
By Cristoforo
More vanity glass and steel objects in the Salford skyline that’ll do nothing to support the crisis of low quality social housing.
By Anonymous
When your done their take a look at salford precinct that needs a make over an am sure it could work out very productive for you
By Anonymous
I really believe this type of development is ugly and not in keeping with local needs
By Anonymous
I hope common sense prevails and it gets approved. Must admit I don’t see it actually getting developed. But at least a way forward to make better use of a site that’s long served its purpose will be laid out.
By Tom
People will always complain, no matter what gets proposed.
By Steve
The site is actively used by locals who depend on these everyday shops – something increasingly rare in areas facing development pressure. Dismissing residents as “NIMBYs” ignores genuine concerns from people who actually use these facilities.
The gentrification implications are significant. While developers claim existing tenants will be accommodated, there’s no guarantee about rental rates. Will current businesses be offered affordable leases or priced out by “market rate” rents? This displacement pattern is common in regeneration projects.
Tight financial viability with affordable housing proposed based on grant funding does not sound promising. Rather than reducing the number of locals waiting to be apartments , it would mostly be taken up by foreign investors and price the local population out. This risks accelerating gentrification that pushes out long-term residents who can no longer afford their own area.
By Annabelle Preston
The locals don’t go to the city centre, they go here, it’s where they do their shopping, this would be nothing less than social cleansing
By Anonymous
Some of the displaced retail space could be moved to the former Morrisons unit on Trafford Road and the vacant former Staples unit.
The residential element will work well, but it requires a substantial underground car park to accommodate all the cars, rather than them clogging up the surrounding streets, which is already happening from other nearby blocks.
By PSR Simon
Get it built don’t stop the progress
By Tony