Salford to approve next 900 Middlewood Locks homes 

The development consortium delivering the £1bn neighbourhood is hoping to secure planning approval for the next phase of the project, which features two towers of 32 and 28 storeys. 

Salford City Council has earmarked two separate applications from Fairbriar Developments for approval.  

Fairbrair is a joint venture in which Scarborough International Properties holds a 50% stake, with Metro Holdings of Singapore and Hualing Group of China controlling 25% each. 

The consortium is requesting consent for 659 apartments across the two towers under one application. 

The second application seeks approval for another 250 flats within an L-shaped block rising to 15 storeys. 

Overall, the two projects will see 909 homes delivered. Of these, 73 will have three bedrooms, 430 will have two bedrooms and the remaining 408 will be one-bedroom properties. 

Whittam Cox is the scheme’s architect. Credit: via planning documents

As well as homes, the two developments feature around 22,000 sq ft of commercial space. 

The schemes will be built on a 10-acre plot that connects the existing community at Middlewood Locks, comprising 1,116 homes, through to the Ordsall Chord railway arches to Manchester city centre. 

Last year, Scarborough also sought to refresh the outline consent for Middlewood Locks in order to deliver around 500,000 sq ft of workspace and another 1,000 new homes.    

A 25-storey hotel and 10-storey multistorey car park also form a part of the masterplan alongside further public realm including a canal side park.  

Phase three, the 189-home Railings, has consent and is due to start on site soon with BCEGI to continue as contractor.   

The architect behind Middlewood Locks is Whittam Cox, the planning consultant is Zerum and Ares Landscape Architecture is also advising.