Developer reveals designs for £65m Sale town centre revamp
Maloneview showcased its plans to transform Sale’s The Square Shopping Centre at a well-attended public consultation in the town on 16 November.
The £65m plan for Sale’s ageing The Square shopping centre includes partial demolition of the existing shopping centre and replacing it with a six-screen cinema, up to 37,000 sq ft of retail, and as many as 205 residential units.
The plans, designed by SimpsonHaugh, landscape architect Exterior Architecture, and supported by Barton Willmore as planner, were on display at the public consultation at the shopping centre, along with proposed next steps for the project.
Maloneview hopes to have plans for the project submitted by the end of the year. Following potential planning approval in spring, the developer is hoping to start on site in 2018, and has already had a number of contractors enquiring about the project.
It is understood the developer would favour a larger regional or medium-sized national contractor to build the project, rather than a major national firm.
For the residential element of the scheme, many of the apartments will be housed in the building’s two main towers, but there will also be townhouses along the development’s Sibson Road frontage, with more townhouses being considered at the site following the consultation process.
Operators have already expressed an interest in the cinema element, which will sit on the corner of Sibson Road and Springfield Road.
The residential element of the scheme includes apartments and townhouses
While the development is not yet fully funded, Maloneview said it was “looking at a wide range of options” to get the project off the ground.
The redevelopment of The Square will also link closely with Trafford Council’s planned overhaul of public realm across the town, which is being designed by Planit IE and Civic Engineers. The developer said both design teams will work together closely to ensure the proposals fit together.
Consultation on the plans – which have been well received so far, according to the developer – mark welcome progress at the site, which has been owned by Maloneview for 10 years.
Previous options considered included a major retail development on much of The Square and the adjacent land, as well as the replacement of the existing Tesco store, but the developer admitted that these “wouldn’t have been right” for the area.
Following consultation, planning, and construction, the project will be complete by 2021.
Residents and local businesses still have the chance to give their views on the plans at a further consultation event at The Square in Sale on Saturday 18 November between 11am and 3pm.
A model of the proposals was on display at the consultation in Sale town centre
