Mixed fortunes at Salford planning meeting

Plans to redevelop a former police headquarters on Salford Crescent were refused by Salford City Council yesterday; the Royal Horticultural Society’s proposals for a 150-acre garden were approved subject to the Secretary of State’s agreement.

Salford Crescent

Salford Crescent Townhouses

Stama Developments, a company specialising in the redevelopment of vacant buildings, planned to convert the 1.8-acre site into 140 new homes, made up of 117 one- to three-bedroom apartments and 23 five-bedroom townhouses.

The existing roof was to be removed and two additional floors created to accommodate apartments. The façade of the main building would have remained mostly unaltered, and the four-storey townhouses would have been built on the yard behind the property.

The scheme, designed by Annabelle Tugby Architects, was recommended for approval, but was rejected, due to a view that the proposals showed a lack of street scene along Irwell Place.

Property Alliance Group is development partner with Stama. The developer said: “We are obviously very disappointed and will be appealing the decision. We remain fully committed to restoring and re-developing this this important heritage asset.”


RHS Garden Bridgewater

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At the same meeting, the Royal Horticultural Society’s plans for a 150-acre garden were approved, however the application will be referred to the Secretary of State due to the Green Belt status of the site.

The new garden, to be known as RHS Garden Bridgewater, is part of the RHS 10-year £160m investment programme.

Architect Hodder + Partners designed facilities including the Welcome Building, a shop and café, an events and learning space, a new glasshouse and school of horticulture, and the restoration of the historic Walled Garden and its accompanying buildings.

Formally the site of heritage asset, Worsley New Hall, the land is owned by Peel Land & Property and the project is a collaboration between the owner, RHS and Salford City Council.

Barton Willmore is the planner, and Tom Stuart-Smith is the landscape architect.

The council’s decision means that the planning application will be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government. The referral process will take up to 21 days and if the Secretary of State is content that the decision can be made locally, Salford will be free to issue the planning permission. The Garden will be developed in phases over a five to 10 year period.


Furness Quay

Fortis Development Furness Quay

Fortis Developments’ residential proposal has been approved, after an earlier application’s surprise refusal by the council’s planning committee in January.

The developer is planning the office-to-residential conversion of Furness House and Custom House on Furness Quay, adding six storeys and four storeys respectively. There are also plans for two new-build blocks, totalling 13 storeys and 27 storeys. Bowman Riley is the architect.

In January, Salford councillors rejected the scheme citing poor lighting, car parking taking too much precedent over green spaces and height issues.

The application was approved after amendments to the scheme, including the removal of car parking spaces to provide increased amenity landscaping and revisions to window arrangements to improve daylight levels. The approval is subject to the developer providing a grant of £1,100 to deliver resurfacing of local roads and provision of affordable homes elsewhere in the borough.

DEP Landscape Architecture worked on the project.


Pier 7

Waterfront Quay Aerial

TH Real Estate’s application to demolish three buildings on Waterfront Quay to use the land for 426-space car park has been approved but can only be operational for 12 months.

It is intended that the car park will be used specifically by employees at Talk Talk’s new offices, which are located a short walk from the site in the former Soapworks.

TH Real Estate said it would use the time to raise money for its Pier 7 project, planned for the site.

The developer has already received outline planning permission for the £140m Pier 7 scheme, delivering up to 800 apartments. The redevelopment would total 700,000 ft of residential space, and would include 20,000 sq ft of retail units, alongside landscaped public realm and pedestrian links. The apartments would be for a mix of owner-occupiers and private renters.

GW Planning is advising on the scheme.

Your Comments

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The police station looked special.Big mistake Salford.The crescent has potential to be a place where people want to live.Plus more townhouses.

By Elephant

Terrible mistake about the Salford police station. It’s great, looks fantastic and appropriate and finally after 12 years something could happen.

Really thanks councillors…

By True Salfordian

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