A vocal critic of a £1bn Salford housing scheme has landed a top job in the council’s cabinet team.
Ordsall councillor Brendan Keville has criticised development plans by Henley Investment Management to build more than 3,000 new homes at part of Salford’s Regent Retail Park.
During a public meeting held in January, he said the retail park is “packed every day serving tens of thousands of shoppers”, and that “10 years of construction” would cause major disruption to local residents.
The huge transformation of the site could see the new homes spread across ten different buildings.
An outline planning application has been lodged with the council, but the plans have yet to be put before Salford’s planning panel.
But more than 400 residents have objected to the plans on the council’s website.
Residents have shared concerns about the potential loss of retail sites, and Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has previously argued the plans would “drastically impact Salford’s skyline” and “won’t help tackle the urgent need for social and affordable housing”.
Henley said in January this year that the retail park plans will include affordable housing, and that talks are ongoing to decide how many of the 3,300 proposed homes will fall into this category.
The developer has also said that all existing tenants currently at the retail park have been invited back if the plans are approved.
Coun Keville also spoke against plans to build more than 500 homes at the city’s Soapworks site, saying at a planning meeting in May that it would create an “overconcentration of expensive” apartments and could “inflate local rents”.
But he’s now been handed a supporting cabinet role on issues of homelessness, affordable housing, and housing standards at the council.
Coun Keville joins Paul Dennett’s top team which makes the key decisions affecting the future of the city.
He will work closely with deputy mayor Coun Tracy Kelly, who holds the senior position of lead member for housing and anti-poverty.
Coun Keville takes over the post from Coun Wilson Nkurunziza, who has moved to a cabinet role supporting the brief of equitable inclusion.
A notable absence in this year’s cabinet team is Coun Bill Hinds, the ex-council leader who quit the Labour Party in May after 51 years of membership.
This left an empty post as executive support for education, learning and school improvement, which has been taken up by Coun Joshua Brooks.
Salford council’s new-look cabinet has a number of major problems to deal with in the immediate future, including growing pressures on housing and homelessness.
Speaking on the cabinet reshuffle, Mr Dennett said: “All our councillors were elected on a clear promise of creating a greener, healthier and more prosperous city and it is our duty to service the people of Salford.
“I believe this slight reshuffle has the right people to deliver on those ambitions. We achieve this by working in partnership with local people and communities, committed partnership organisations and our amazing voluntary and community sector and I would like to thank all for their support.
“I would like to welcome Coun Brendan Keville to the wider mayor team. I believe he is a natural fit to support CounTracy Kelly in the incredibly busy housing portfolio. We all know the pressures we have nationally in housing and this is no different in Salford.”
Salford new cabinet team has been confirmed:
Paul Dennett, city mayor
Coun Tracy Kelly, statutory deputy city mayor/lead member for housing and anti-poverty
Coun Jack Youd, deputy city mayor/ lead member for finance, support services and regeneration
Coun John Merry, lead member for adult social care and health, and deputy city mayor responsibility for Local Government Association and Key Cities
Coun Hannah Robinson-Smith, lead member for culture, heritage, equalities, sports and leisure
Coun Jim Cammell, lead member for children’s and young people’s services
Coun Barbara Bentham, lead member for neighbourhoods, environment and community safety
Coun Teresa Pepper, lead member for skills, work and business support
Coun Mike McCusker, lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development
Coun Joshua Brooks, executive support member for education, learning and school improvement.
Coun Jane Hamilton, executive support member for climate change, low carbon and green agenda
Coun Mishal Saeed, executive support member for social care and mental health.
Coun Gina Reynolds, executive support member for VCSE strategy and communities
Coun Michele Barnes, executive support member for workforce and industrial relations
Coun Wilson Nkurunziza, executive support member for equitable inclusion
Coun Brendan Keville, executive support member for homelessness, affordable housing and housing standards
