Domis starts on £120m Castle Irwell scheme 

The contractor has started construction of the first phase of a 500-home development on the site of the former Castle Irwell student village in Salford. 

Salford City Council approved plans for the initial 157-home phase in September and developer Salboy expects to complete the first batch of properties by March 2021. 

A number of the homes, which start at £199,500, have already been reserved and the first residents are due to move in next spring, according to Salboy.

The rest of the first phase, which comprises a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, will be completed by June 2022, the developer said. 

Two additional phases of 110 and 233 homes respectively will follow. 

A three-acre village green also forms part of the development and the former racecourse turnstile building is being converted into a marketing suite under Salboy’s proposals, with plans for a variety of uses once the project is complete. 

Calderpeel Architects designed the scheme

The £120m scheme, designed by Calderpeel Architects, is on a 36-acre site located in a loop of the River Irwell off Littleton Road and Cromwell Road. 

Salboy bought from the land from the University of Salford last year. 

Once home to Manchester Racecourse, the site was more recently occupied by the University of Salford’s Castle Irwell student village, which closed in 2015. 

Simon Ismail, co-founder of Salboy, said the development was aimed at people who work in the city but “want a home to own with more space to enjoy and nature on the doorstep”. 

He added: “Castle Irwell will be a contemporary new village where as much thought has been given to the surroundings and how people want to live now as the house design. 

“This type of housing so close to the city centre will allow young professionals to move out a little bit and put down roots and start a family in lovely surroundings without having to compromise with a massive commute.”