Salix HQ lined up for resi conversion
The 26,000 sq ft Diamond House in Salford is to be converted into up to 83 apartments under new proposals, potentially triggering a move for the local housing organisation.
Planner WSP has lodged a series of applications with Salford City Council on behalf of an unnamed client, outlining different potential layouts for the proposed scheme, which would be advanced under office-to-residential permitted development rights. The council has approved three of the six options for development so far.
One of the options is for 83 studio apartments; the other is for 69 flats, split into 35 studios and 34 one-bedroom flats; and a third option is for 32 studios, 17 one-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bedroom apartments.
Leeds architect Brewster Bye has designed the various proposals, which have been filed on behalf of a client of the Leeds office of WSP.
Diamond House is a red brick, four-storey office building on Peel Cross Road to the west of the Regent Road roundabout in Salford, bounded by the M602 to the north and Eccles New Road to the south.
It sits on the north side of a small business park with three similar office buildings and has 95 parking spaces. Anchorage and Langworthy are the nearest Metrolink stops.
Sara Sharrock, finance director at Salix Homes, told Place North West: “We are aware that the landlord of Diamond House has been looking at different options for the building for when our current lease ends in 2022.
“We will be considering what options work best for our organisation, our customers and our colleagues nearer the time, including the possibility of renewing our lease.”
A further office-to-residential application filed with Salford Council is for the conversion of 64 Broadway into 30 apartments. The planner for that scheme is RPI with designs from Debtal Architects. The building, on the key route into MediaCityUK, is a self-contained 8,600 sq ft office at present, with 36 parking spaces.
I used to work in this building years ago, I wouldn’t say its an obvious choice for a residential conversion. Salix would be better moving to a more accessible location anyway, its not the easiest to get to especially if you don’t have a car. It’s still a bit of a walk from the Metrolink.
By Jon P
Another stunning development, brought to you by permitted development rights.
Certain irony in a housing company potentially being displaced.
By Mike
The future of office space turned into swanky appartments. Most office workers are still working from home and many more office blocks will be turned into appartments.
By Salford Born Bred Darren.
There is nothing “swanky” about office to residential conversions. They’re generally small, mean and can be poorly built. But at least they’re an efficient use of land whereas many “swanky” housing estates consume vast acres of land putting them out of reach of the budget of many young families and a long way from the main employment centres.
By Real Daz Salford