First chunk of Sale West homes signed off

Trafford Council has granted full planning consent to the £11m first phase of Irwell Valley Homes’ regeneration of the estate comprising 79 homes for social rent, and outline consent for an additional 184 units.

The housing provider applied to build up to 260 homes across 90 acres of the Sale West Estate – a scheme expected to cost £50m. The project also includes replacement sports and community facilities, public realm and other open space works, play areas, new roads and parking.

The estate, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, comprises around 1,400 dwellings, the majority of which is former council housing stock now managed by Irwell Homes.

Trafford this week approved the first part of the hybrid application, proposing a maximum of 79 residential units “only for the purposes of providing affordable housing for social rent”, the planning decision document states.

Consent was granted with additional conditions attached, including that no above-ground construction work can take place until a detailed façade proposal for all elevations of the new residential block is submitted and approved by the council.

The consent also permits the development of a new internal estate road, landscape works, resurfacing, reconfiguration and parking provision, footpath closures and other associated development. Trafford also granted outline consent for the further 184 homes as well as the landscaping, roads, community facilities and public realm.

The site, plans for which were lodged in February, sits off Ordsall Lane, bounded by Firs Way to the north and west and Cherry Lane to the south.

Starting later this year, all of the existing homes owned by Irwell Valley will get new kitchens, roofs, fencing, gates and boilers, under the wider estate regeneration.

Nexus Planning, AEW Architects, Exterior Architects, Curtins and CPC are advising Irwell Valley Homes and Trafford Council on the Sale West plans.

There were some objections to hybrid planning application approved this week, because of concerns over potential loss of green space and oversubscription of schools and health centres in the local area.