A planning application has been submitted for the next phase of the Middlewood Locks development in Salford, a massive project to transform what was a large tract of brownfield site just across the River Irwell from Manchester city centre.
Developer Scarborough Group International plans to invest £1 billion in the third phase of the project, which takes its name from the surviving stretch of the Manchester, Bury and Bolton Canal that runs through the site.
The latest part of the development will involve a ten-acre plot that stretches from the phase one and two developments through to the railway arches of the new Ordsall Chord by the river boundary with Manchester.
Scarborough has sought permission for two specific projects. The first will involve the construction of 659 apartments in two new blocks. These will be stepped buildings, with one ranging from ten to 28 storeys and the other from 11 to 32 storeys, alongside 180,000 sq ft of commercial space on the ground floor.
The second will involved an L-shaped building ranging from 11 to 15 storeys, with 250 apartments and 4,500 sq ft of commercial space. The two plots will be linked by a new public square.
In addition, updated consent is also being sought to add another 1,000 homes to the existing developments, along with a new hotel, car parking and public real to create a new canalside car park.
Development director Paul Kelly said: “This next phase seeks to connect Middlewood Locks with a seamless transition from the bustle of Manchester city centre through to a more tranquil living environment.”
Should planning permission be granted, landscaping equipment hire will be in high demand, as it is likely to be for a range of other major developments in and around the centre of Manchester.
The Middlewood Locks development is not the only major area of activity on the Salford side of the river, with Greengate and a number of riverside developments taking place. Where the Irwell becomes the Manchester Ship Canal, further projects have been in train on both sides of the water for many years, not least at Salford Quays.
However, this week the other biggest project announcements have been on the Manchester side. Great Jackson Street Estates, which is controlled by Salford-based investor Aubrey Weis, gained planning permission for two new residential skyscrapers, twin buildings of 56 storeys each to add to a cluster of towers that includes the current tallest in the city, the 659 ft Deansgate Square Tower A.
Elsewhere in the city centre, Joint venture developer Property Alliance Group and Starwood Capital have teamed up to unveil plans to redevelop the former Renaissance Hotel site on Deansgate with a 27-storey apartment block. A public consultation on the plans has been launched.
The difference between Middlewood Locks and these schemes may be in the element of “tranquil living” mentioned by Mr Kelly, in contrast with the fast pace of living in the city centre itself.
Indeed, Middlewood Locks is far from the only development of its kind on the fringes of Manchester city centre; another prime example is the canalside district of Ancoats, which has been heavily redeveloped in recent years and rebranded ‘New Islington’, a name that had roots in the 19th century but had fallen into disuse.