PLANNING | ECF dominates Salford agenda
The Three New Bailey office building pre-let to HMRC and plans for a Buttress-designed residential scheme on Chapel Street are the stand-out items facing Salford’s planning committee next week.
Also on the agenda are the plans by De Trafford Estates for a 400-plus apartment scheme at Salford Quays and a proposal for housing by Countryside at the former Eaton Works site north of Walkden.
Should members vote in line with officer recommendations and approve all four schemes, it would mean 900 homes would be approved at the meeting.
Recommended for approval
Wavelength, Furness Quay
Developer: DeTrafford Estates
Architect: Ollier Smurthwaite
Planner: Paul Butler Associates
Flats: 421
Scheme: De Trafford proposes demolition of the existing Navigation House existing office building and the construction of 421 apartments with 4,400 sq ft of commercial at ground floor, in three buildings ranging from six to 27 storeys.
The adjacent, listed Dock Office has already been turned into apartments while the neighbouring Custom House and Furness House are part of a Fortis scheme that was approved last April after initial refusal. Blocks A and B at Furness Quay are to form a C-shape, with Block A rising from six storeys to 13, and Block B from 14 storeys to 20. The narrower building, Block C, is the tallest at 27 storeys.
The majority will be one-bedroom – 175 flats – or two-bedroom, accounting for 222 dwellings. Approval is recommended with conditions attached, including a £100,000 contribution plus clawback agreement should viability improve.
Eaton Works
Developer: Countryside
Planner: Nexus Planning
Homes: 302
The scheme: The housebuilder intends to demolish former industrial buildings and build 302 homes on an 18.8-acre site east of Worsley Road North, around 1.3km to the north of Walkden town centre close to the M61 crossing. Of these, 52 would be available through Great Places as affordable rent, 148 through Sigma, through private rented, and 102 sold on the open market. Sigma’s portion of the allocation would include 58 two-bedroom apartments in two blocks.
Plots E7 and E8, Chapel Street
Developer: English Cities Fund
Architect: Buttress
Planner: DPP
Homes: 178
Scheme: Four blocks of up to seven storeys, with 167 apartments and 11 townhouses. Includes 14,000 sq ft of commercial space at ground floor level, split into eight units. The residential element breaks down as 70 one-bedroom apartments, 88 two-bedroom apartments and nine three-bedroom apartments.
The site sits between North Star Drive and Chapel Street, between the Vimto Gardens development and the Ainscow Hotel.
Three New Bailey
Developer: English Cities Fund
Architect: Make
Planner: DPP
Scheme: Seven-storey office block to house HMRC, following confirmation earlier this year of a pre-let to the Government Property Unit for one of the government’s regional super-hubs. The building as a whole will be 210,000 sq ft, with 159,000 sq ft of office space.
The proposal includes a pedestrian link between Gore Street and New Bailey, and works to the listed railway viaduct adjacent to create 50 car parking spaces. The scheme also includes 120 cycle parking spaces.
Glad to see the plan to give Chapel Street that 1970’s Dresden chic is continuing apace.
By Loganberry
New Bailey looks great along with Furness Quay. Chapel Street is dire!
By Steve
Whilst the Chapel St projects are not the best looking, I think just getting SOMETHING on there to regenerate/activate the street level is key to bringing the area back to life. Hopefully more interesting projects will follow when developers see a more active area.
By Bradford
Bradford, the area is already very active. Just because the site has been vacant for a long time doesn’t excuse a pile of crap being built on it. I’d much rather have an open site for years rather than cheap rubbish being thrown up on it
By Steve
One of these looks like a real basket case.
By Gene Walker
It’s not even been built yet, it could turn out to be a great building.
By Brett MacKenzie
Steve – I know the area very well and it is not as active as it could be. The businesses that are there can not afford for there to be vacant plots on such large chunks of land which lead to the city centre – there needs to be a continuous ribbon of activity along Chapel Street from the end of Deansgate to facilitate growth/footfall. Salford Council can only approve/deny what is put in front of them based on planning guidelines so unless it contravenes guidance they isn’t much they can do unless they have a statutory design guide. As a pragmatist, not all buildings in a city can be ‘beautiful’ some just need to be practical.
By Bradford
Chapel street needs trees from Salford Crescent station down to Victoria station creating an avenue.
By Elephant