Last summer, plans were announced to erect one of the country’s tallest towers in Salford. Henley Investment Management’s (HIM) £1 billion project for Regent Retail Park promises to completely transform the area and reshape the metropolitan skyline.
It would build 3,300 dwellings, a 3.5-acre park, and stores and recreational facilities in the northern section of the current shopping center, excluding Sainsbury’s. The scheme’s tallest building would reach a height of 273 meters, serving as a landmark location towering above the city.
It would be a significant change, and officials say it would provide a new community for everyone in Salford to enjoy and participate in. However, there has been a tremendous pushback. In August, Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey asked the council to reject the proposal.
She cited worries in an open letter regarding affordable housing, the loss of local shops, and increasing traffic congestion. Ordsall Labour councillors are also lobbying against the application.
Coun Brendan Keville, who represents the Ordsall ward, said residents are concerned that their concerns will not be heard during the planning process. “While the investment is welcome, it’s about looking at this particular site,” he told reporters.
“It is not another unused brownfield site; it contributes to the local economy. That’s why the residents are so furious.”
The buildings could change Salford’s skyline forever if approved.
Coun Keville presented a petition against the plans to a Salford council meeting on January 15, which was signed by over 200 people. The petition expressed worries about potential increases in pollution and traffic congestion, as well as disturbance due to building activity.
More than 300 people have filed objections to the proposal on Salford council’s planning portal, alongside 22 comments in support of the plans.
The developer behind the proposal stated that it is aware of the concerns and is working with the council and community to strike the correct balance with the application.
At this point, it is still a ‘outline’ application for the proposal’s broad premise, with many details to be resolved later, subject to council approval.
While the project is in its early stages, it fits into Salford Council’s long-term development plan for the city.
By 2042, the council aims to create 9,000 dwellings in the Ordsall, Quays, Pendleton, and Charlestown areas, including plans to’redevelop Regent Road local center’ with additional greenspace, shops, services, and ‘high density housing.’
New homes are set to be built around Ordsall.
Henley said the retail park plans will include affordable housing, and that talks are ongoing to decide how many of the 3,300 homes will fall into this category.
It also said all of the existing retailers have been invited to reopen at the planned development. A target date for the decision has been set for February 7, but the Manchester Evening News understands this is unlikely.
It was supposed to be discussed by council’s planning committee in November but got pushed back, and it is now hoped a decision on the development will be made by summer this year. Whatever the outcome, the decision will have a major impact on the future of the city.
A spokesperson from HIM said: “Regent Park is a once in a lifetime regeneration scheme that has the potential to transform the future of Ordsall, Salford, and beyond
“It signifies a billion-pound investment in the future of the local centre, creating a diverse, vibrant, and exciting new community for everyone to enjoy.
“Centred around a 3.5-acre park, Regent Park Local Centre will provide shops, services, health and leisure facilities, and dedicated community space, as well as a mix of sustainable, high-density new homes.
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