Salford Council’s procurement board will meet this Wednesday (24th July) to award the contract for the phase 1 demolition of Eccles Shopping Centre which it strategically purchased from former owners Columbia Threadneedle for the tidy sum of £4.15m in December 2022 in an attempt to regenerate the dated and struggling shopping centre.
Council officers have recommended to award the £578,280 contract to Connell Brothers Limited for the Phase 1 demolition of Eccles Shopping Centre, including 14 retail units, Northway Market, plus a number of derelict units on Northway and Eccles Multi Storey Car Park. Additionally the Contractors were also asked to provide a separate cost for site hoardings with vinyl as an optional extra to ensure that site hoarding meets with the funders specification and this has been included in the project value in the sum of £63,000, increasing the total contract sum to £641,280. The project also comes with a Client Contingency for Removal of Unidentified Asbestos £500,000 bringing the full project commitment to £1,141,280.
In order to bring forward the Demolition of Phase 1, shown edged red on the attached plan, the Council appointed Identity Consult to act as Project Manager/Employers Agent/Principal Designer/QS to prepare and undertake all pre and post contract works associated with securing and managing the demolition contract, including securing all necessary statutory consents. A number of pre-demolition works have been undertaken including a number of surveys; party wall, rainage, ecology and bat surveys, topographical, flood risk, UXO, CCTV, drainage and desktop surveys, a number of vacant properties have been cleared and the notification of SCC’s intention to demolish was approved by Planning in May 2024.
Five companies submitted a tender and these have been evaluated in accordance with selection criteria with Connell Brothers winning out.
Gallery: Eccles Shopping Centre In The 90’s
The work is expected to take 32 weeks to complete, however a period of 12 months will be allowed for any delays related to delays, unforeseen issues and for removal of unidentified asbestos. The contract start date will commence from the 5th August 2024 and all being well will conclude on the 4th July 2025.
The council’s vision aims to transform the centre into a vibrant mixed-use area that includes retail, residential, and leisure spaces, creating a more attractive and functional environment for both residents and visitors.
The City Council will be looking for a private sector development partner to build upon the Vision document which has been created so far for Eccles and to implement the regeneration of the town centre.
