Salford sets out next chunk of Section 106 spending
Sign-off has been given for the allocation of £4.4m in developer contributions for open space and sports projects, along with supporting the delivery of affordable housing.
Salford City Council’s property and regeneration briefing session met on Monday 26 October to consider a report on the funding allocations.
The largest single allocation comes from the Bellway development at Brackley Golf Course, which the housebuilder acquired for £40m in 2021, netting the council £18.5m in its largest capital receipt to date.
Other contributions came from developments including United Living’s Outwood Wharf phase two, and Salboy’s 26-storey Obsidian.
The allocations as set out in the printed decisions are:
Open space
£3,023,667.82 from Brackley Golf Course (Section 106 reference 382A – 18/72605/OUTEIA).
Affordable housing
£559,508.57 from Outwood Wharf phase two (Section 106 reference 372 – 18/71512/FUL);
£202,070.67 from Middlewood Plaza (Section 106 reference 377A – 17/70615/FUL);
£92,826.25 from Land west of Michigan Avenue (Section 106 reference 392 – 18/72756/OUT);
£526,064.00 from Obsidian (Section 106 reference 471 – 23/81487/FUL).
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett has majored on social housing at a time when local authorities have come under fire for encouraging investor-led high-end skyscrapers over building homes for local people.
Dennett took to the stage at MIPIM this year to encourage councils to have more “skin in the game” on affordable living.
The officer report ahead of Monday’s meeting outlined how Salford’s Section 106 board has agreed that additional staff resources are required to accelerate the delivery of projects funded by Section 106 contributions.
To date, around £40m in S106 contributions has been received, of which around £13.5m has been committed to specific projects, the report said.
The reasoning behind the way funds are to be allocated, as set out above, is a matter of which parts of the council are best-placed to deliver in specific areas, mainly relating to “additional internal resource” through the parks & streetscene department being best-placed to deliver open space projects.
Little Hulton, having lost the green spaces afforded by the golf course, is the focus of the open space projects to receive funding. Of particular note in the report is the Amblecote playing fields and changing rooms, with other locations to benefit listed as including Par Fold Park, Blackleach Country Park, St Mary’s Park, and Harriett Street playing fields.
