Salford Council is looking to purchase Swinton Square, based over the road from the council’s offices at Swinton Civic Centre, in a bid to make improvements to the area.
Mayor Paul Dennett said the shopping centre is “not in a great state” and needs more investment, but a sale is not expected in the near future, with the Mayor explaining that he wished “more progress” was being made.
Salford council bought Eccles shopping centre in December 2022 for £4 million, with the aim of launching a regeneration scheme in the town.
In Swinton, Mr Dennett said people are leaving the area due to the condition of Swinton Square.
“It’s great that we’ve purchased Eccles Precinct, we already owned the car park so we’ve got some skin in the game there in terms of land ownership, we’re now in the process of consulting with the residents about what will happen there.
“We’ve got to increase the density in Eccles town centre because that will enable the retail to survive and succeed, but we’ve also got to get the mix right in terms of speaking to what residents want to see.
“Here in Swinton, it’s a slightly different story. This side of the road the council owns a lot of the land, we own some of the public buildings here, but the other side of the road is very different.
“West Bromwich Building Society own that precinct. It’s not in a great state, it’s not been significantly invested in to the extent that I would personally like to see, and ultimately people have left that precinct over the course of time and we do need a solution to that.
“West Brom need to work with the city council to realise a solution to that.
“I think a lot of it comes down to what their asking price is to get it off their books, for us to buy it or a development partner to buy it.
“Ultimately, the asking price at which you buy it then has an impact on the viability of what you can and can’t do on that site moving forward.
“Those are ongoing frustrations that I have, I wish there was more progress made, but Swinton is not off the table, it’s one of the town’s that is an absolute priority for me moving forward.”
Swinton Square 2 – LDRS
West Bromwich Building Society told the LDRS they are not the owners of Swinton Square.
A spokesperson said:
“West Bromwich Commercial Limited are the lenders to the owners, who are two overseas registered companies.
“LPA receivers are appointed over the property and they have been actively managing the centre and have continued to actively engage with various heads of department at Salford council in relation to the current management of the centre and in relation to the future of the Swinton shopping centre.
“They have maintained an open and honest dialogue with the council, which we expect to continue, but despite historic and ongoing dialogue with Salford council, the receivers have yet to receive any form of offer, or proposal from the council for the Swinton centre.”
Improving Salford’s towns is a key part of the council’s new Corporate Plan.
This outlines a vision to create a ‘fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city’ by 2028 – or as the Mayor put it, a “vision for socialism.”
The Corporate Plan includes building more homes, and making Salford a ‘child friendly city’ through a number of policies aimed at improving outcomes for the city’s children.
The council also aims to invest in the public realm, and ‘improve the attractiveness and safety of local neighbourhoods.’
But Salford council is also facing a squeezed budget, having lost millions in government spending cuts over the past decade, according to the Mayor.
Mr Dennett added:
“Towns are really important to the future of Salford, it isn’t all about what happens at MediaCity or close to Manchester.”
West Bromwich Building Society and Swinton Square were contacted for comment.
