Housing comes forward at British Vita site
Housebuilder Countryside’s proposals for 136 homes on the former British Vita works at Seaford Road, Broughton, have been lodged with Salford City Council.
The developer has put forward plans for the demolition of existing industrial buildings on the 5.4-acre site, which lies to the north of the David Lewis sports ground. The homes will come in 72 two and three-bedroom houses and four-storey apartment blocks that will house 16 one-bedroom apartments and 48 two-bedroom apartments and will be funded by Sigma Capital Property, joint applicant for the scheme.
A Sigma spokesman told Place North West that it is “looking forward to delivering a high quality, institutionally funded build to rent development on this long under-utilised site”. Subject to planning, the scheme is targeted for a start on site in summer, with completion in September 2020.
Nexus Planning has advised the developer on the application, with Lanpro providing a heritage assessment and CBO advising on transport.
On behalf of Rock Asset Management, CBRE secured outline consent for up to 80 homes on the site in 2014, establishing the principle of development for residential.
Nexus’ planning statement, filed as part of the application, states that: “The proposals constitute the re-use of a dated industrial site in a poor state of repair which has been under-occupied for a significant period of time, despite extensive marketing.
“As confirmed by the council’s Local Plan Employment Land Review (2008) the site is unsuitable for modern employment uses and would perform poorly in the future employment market within the borough, and should be released for other uses.”
Countryside has been working in partnership with Salford on housing in Lower Broughton since 2005, bringing forward the fifth and final phase of work in spring 2018.