A new ‘creative neighbourhood’ is being planned in Salford city centre with a festival space and community garden.
The plans include creating 90 new homes in a mix of apartments and townhouses, in an area which has been ‘neglected’ in recent years, facing issues with ‘litter’ and ‘fly-tipping.’
Known as Oldfield Basin, the development could become one of the city’s trendiest places to live, based at the Regent Trading Estate on Oldfield Road.
It is next to the grade II listed Islington Mill – a site which is home to more than 100 resident artists and collectives.
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The key feature of the design is a new ‘festival yard’ which would host events and markets linked to the Arts Club, and a community garden with ‘grow your own spaces.’
The proposal by ECF (English Cities Fund) would see a block of flats built with a nod to the area’s postindustrial, canalside heritage, with a total of 63 apartments, predominantly made up of one and two bedrooms.
This is alongside 27 three-bed townhouses, all set to be rented at ‘affordable’ rates.
All of the homes are set to be built to Passivhaus standards, with measures taken to reduce energy costs for residents.
The design includes creating a new pedestrian link connecting Oldfield Road to James Street and Stephenson Street, along with a new street through the site named as Maker Street, next to Islington Mill.
A plan has been drawn up to sell the homes to Dérive – the Salford City Council owned housing firm – who would manage the properties once complete, with construction work expected to take around two years.
Bosses behind the scheme hope it will act as a ‘catalyst for wider regeneration’ in Salford city centre.
A planning application has been submitted to Salford council.
A design and access statement lodged with the application states:
‘There is a great opportunity to adapt the character of the landscape and public realm, building on the great work already begun to better cater for the existing on site community and the new residential community.
‘Opening up routes through the site, creating an activated streetscape with front door and entrances, creating pocket spaces for users can all support the creation of a new enlivened, mixed use community.’
