Scarborough’s Middlewood Locks approved

The McCabe family's development company has received planning permission from Salford City Council for 2,000 homes and 750,000 sq ft of mixed-use space at a 23.6-acre site near to the former Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal in Salford.

Middlewood Locks, which has a gross development value of around £575m, is being developed by FairBriar International, a joint venture between Scarborough Group, Top Spring International Holding, a Hong Kong-listed real estate developer in the People's Republic of China, and Metro Holdings, a Singapore-listed property development and investment group.

The development site is centred around three large basins of the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal. Alongside the residential aspect, the scheme will deliver space for mixed commercial uses including offices, shops, delis, restaurants, a convenience store and gym.

Start on site is anticipated for later this year.

There will be a mix of home types and sizes available, which Scarborough said would "help cater for a wide mix of occupiers from first time buyers, families to 'empty nesters'. The homes will be designed in a way to make the most of the landscaping incorporating private and public spaces".

Zerum represented Scarborough as planning consultant and will continue to support Scarborough with other upcoming planning submissions.

Simon McCabe, director of Scarborough, said: "We are pleased to have received this planning consent for Middlewood Locks, which is a real vote of support for our plans to create a new mixed-use community in one of the UK's most vibrant, cosmopolitan and progressive cities. Middlewood Locks is ideally located, just a short work from the central business district and retail amenities, so we are confident that this project will be a huge success and create a fantastic community environment for its future residents."

Studio Egret West is the masterplan architect.