Salford and ForHousing strike Eccles land deal
The city council has granted the developer a 250-year lease on the former Salford Foundation site off St Mary’s Road, waiving a capital receipt in favour of a new facility that will provide services for vulnerable women.
Salford’s property and regeneration committee approved the ForHousing deal on Monday. The agreement will pave the way for a nine-storey building featuring 35 apartments and a Women’s Centre on the ground floor.
The Eccles site has been vacant since 2020 when Salford Foundation ceased operations due to the pandemic and concerns about the condition of the former single-storey facility.
The building was demolished in May 2020, following the foundation’s surrender of the lease some months earlier.
Since then, ForHousing and the city council have been engaged in discussions about the site’s redevelopment.
Last year, the developer lodged an application for a nine-storey building comprising 52 apartments and a new Women’s Centre. The number of apartments has since been scaled back to 35.
In order to push the scheme forward, Salford has agreed to waive a capital receipt for the sale of the long lease to ForHousing. A report to the regeneration committee said offering the land at nil value is “the only way to make this scheme viable”.
In return for getting the land for free, ForHousing will surrender its interest in the women’s centre upon completion.
The city council then plan to let it to Salford Foundation on a 25-year lease at a peppercorn rent.
To learn more about the proposed scheme, search for reference number 22/80966/FUL on Salford City Council’s planning portal.
Why is a business allowed to pay peppercorn rent on land but residents are being pushed for more money to support the area. Why were residents not informed of this prior to the agreement. We are the important ones when it comes to local issues.
By Alison
It’s a woman’s centre not a business i.e a charity
By Anonymous
What about parking we live in Craunton House and there is only St Mary’s Council car park with enough parking for 30+ car we have a permit to park but 35 more flats could make 30 – 40 more cars and nearing for them…🤔🤔🤔…
By Ashley Dixon