Salford to sign off BT’s New Bailey office 

The 235,000 sq ft Four New Bailey would occupy plot B7 at English Cities Fund’s mixed-use development in central Salford.

ECF, a consortium made up of Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England, hopes to secure planning consent from Salford City Council next week, in line with officers’ recommendations. 

Earlier this week, telecommunications giant BT agreed to lease the whole of the 10-storey block, designed by Make Architects, on a 20-year lease. 

The building would be constructed on Bridge Street, next to the completed 125,000 sq ft One New Bailey, the majority of which is let to law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. 

Two other offices at New Bailey are under construction with Bowmer + Kirkland on site: the 188,000 sq ft Two New Bailey, 50,000 sq ft of which is pre-let to law firm Eversheds, and Three New Bailey, a 157,000 sq ft building pre-let to HMRC.  

Plans for Four New Bailey were first submitted in July, outlining a 12-storey, 293,000 sq ft block featuring 6,000 sq ft of ground floor retail space. 

However, ECF lodged refreshed plans for a scaled-back building after BT reduced its requirement.

The ground floor retail provision remained unchanged under the amended plans. 

Bowmer + Kirkland was appointed to carry out groundworks for Four New Bailey but no contractor has yet been appointed to build the office block itself.

DPP UK is the planning consultant for the scheme. 

DPP’s covering letter accompanying the application said: “The building comprises a distinctive black metal diagrid framework encasing the façade, glazed ceramic spandrel panels and black framed windows. The diagrid ‘diamonds’ each span three floors.”

Cundall, Re-form Landscape Architecture, and transport consultant WSP are also on the professional team, alongside cost consultant RPS, and M&E consultant Hannan Associates.