Go-ahead secured for 200+ Salford homes

Three schemes have been approved by the city council, although plans for 177 homes at the former Harrop Fold high school in Little Hulton were deferred.

Affordability is to the fore across the projects, as Salford looks to increase delivery of social housing. In all, 204 homes were approved at committee.

APPROVED

Irwell Valley

The scheme is being delivered with the Broughton Trust. Credit: via planning documents

Developer: Salford City Council 

Architect/Planner: PRP 

At another former school site, plans for 45 homes on the site of the former home of Cromwell Secondary School for Girls. The development will also retain and preserve Alan Boyson’s grade two-listed Tree of Knowledge mural.

The scheme will be called Irwell Valley. All of the houses, off Blandford Road in Charlestown, will be available for social rent with the council delivering the properties in partnership with the Broughton Trust, a local charity with aspirations to become a community-led housing association who will own the properties, which break down as 21 houses and 24 apartments.

Deputy city mayor Cllr Tracy Kelly, lead member for housing, property and regeneration said the project was “vitally needed”, adding that it will “rejuvenate the area by building attractive and sustainable housing on a site that had become a local eyesore in recent years and preserve a piece of local listed heritage”.

Irwell Valley is PRP’s fourth scheme for Salford City Council, working in partnership with the Broughton Trust and we are delighted to be involved in increasing their supply of affordable housing, providing high quality, low energy homes for the people of Salford.

Fiona Sadler, associate director at PRP, said: “If it was not for the lobbying and support of the local community, the mural would have been sadly lost forever but through its listing in 2009 the mural’s future was thankfully secured.

“The mural will now take centre stage of the development where it will be showcased above a public square for the ongoing enjoyment of the local residents and the wider community.”

311 – 313 Chapel Street

The project includes 96 flats. Credit: via planning documents

Developer: English Cities Fund – a consortium made up of Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England 

Architect: Buttress Architects 

Planner: DPP 

ECF is to construct 96 one- and two-bedroom affordable apartments as part of the Salford Central masterplan. 

The scheme, nine storeys at its highest point, is to be constructed on a plot next to the recently completed Atelier, another of English Cities Fund’s projects.   

The plot was recently freed up by the closure of convenience store Shalimar.  

Shalimar had resisted closure and demolition for several years while neighbouring developments including the 173-unit Atelier, and the 97-home Vimto Gardens sprung up. However, the store closed in May and will now be demolished.  

The latest Chapel Street scheme to come forward is to comprise a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments available for affordable rent.  

Cheery Tree Court

Cherry Tree Court will be 100% affordable. Credit: via planning documents

Developer: Guinness Developments 

Architect/Planner: Arcus Consulting  

Guinness Developments is to build a mixed-storey apartment complex on Kiwi Street in Pendleton once an existing 17-storey residential tower block is demolished. 

Arcus submitted plans for the Cherry Tree Court site after it was determined that the current building would not be suitable for creating adequate high-quality, energy-efficient housing. Salford City Council approved the demolition of that current tower block in December 2020. 

The plans for the new building, eight storeys at its highest point, comprise 47 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom apartments. All 63 homes would be available on affordable tenures. 

Homes England will fund the scheme. 

The development team on the project includes Survey Operations as topographical survey consultant and Bagshaw as ecology biodiversity consultant. Azymuth Acoustics, transport advisor TPS Consultants, drianage expert Reid Jones Partnership and CC Geotechnical are also on the professional team.

DEFERRED

The scheme features three separate three-storey apartment blocks. Credit: via planning documents

Former Harrop Fold High School

Developer: Salford City Council 

Architect: Pozzoni 

Planner: Avison Young 

The council is plotting 177 homes on the 11-acre site, off Longshaw Drive in Little Hulton. 

The site has been vacant since 2008 when the school relocated to a new site. The old school was demolished the following year.

Under the plans, Salford City Council proposes the construction of 45 apartments across a trio of three-storey blocks, and 132 houses.

The project team features Identity Consult as project manager, TEP on landscape design, and Curtins advising on transport and as structural engineer.

SRL is assessing noise and GL Hearn is assessing air quality. PHI Architects is energy and sustainability consultant, EPS is on ecology and JCA is the arboricultural consultant.

Deferred yesterday, these plans will now go before December’s committee, along with plans for 68 properties at St Luke’s Primary School in Weaste.