Silverlane in the mix for 55-storey Salford tower

The firm has taken on the role of development partner for One Heritage Group’s long-awaited 542-home skyscraper in Greengate, paving the way for a potential start on site by Easter. 

Fresh planning documents lodged with Salford City Council name Silverlane and its funding partner Arlesco Ventures as the developer and client respectively, while BCEGI is listed as the contractor for the 55-storey tower scheme. The companies are currently working together on a 23-storey residential scheme in Eccles. 

Speculation over whether One Heritage would deliver the scheme or sell the site has circulated over recent months and years. The development agreement with Silverlane could mark a fresh dawn for the project, which has been in the pipeline since 2019. 

One Heritage first won planning permission for the project in January 2020 but has struggled to get on site despite twice appointing contractors for the scheme. 

Laing O’Rourke had been lined up as One Heritage’s preferred contractor for the tower, signing a pre-construction services agreement in 2020. 

However, the contractor walked away from the project the following year and Midgard was drafted in. Silverlane’s involvement has resulted in BCEGI being the third contractor to sign a PCSA for the scheme.

One Heritage lodged updated plans for the project in 2021 and a formal decision notice for the scheme was handed down last week. 

Paul Westhead, project lead for One Heritage Tower, said: “One Heritage is delighted to have finalised the planning consent for the tower and is now progressing the final design work pre-construction.

“There a few elements that need to be finalised in Q1 2024 but it is intended that a start on site can occur by Easter and the project can at last come forward through 2024. This is an exciting final component of the Greengate quarter and we and our development team and partners are working closely with Salford City Council to achieve this over the next few years.”

Silverlane was contacted for comment.

The tower was designed by OMI Architects. Euan Kellie Property Solutions is advising on planning and Layer Studio is the landscape architect. 

The latest application for the scheme can be found by searching reference number OTH/2023/0492 on the Salford City Council planning portal.