Plan for 600-home social and affordable housing estate

3 hours ago

Richard SteadNorth West

News image — The estate of entirely social and affordable housing would be be built on the site of the ex-Renault garage in the centre of Salford

BBC Photograph of the former Renault garage on Trinity Way in central Salford. The image shows a derelict car dealership, traffic lights and an empty road. — The estate of entirely social and affordable housing would be be built on the site of the ex-Renault garage in the centre of Salford

A developer is drawing up plans for what could be one of the largest social housing schemes in Salford for several decades.

The housing firm Salboy wants to build about 600 homes on the former Renault car dealership site on Trinity Way - half going to a housing association and the other half available at "affordable rents".

Simon Ismail, chief executive of Salboy, said: "We're talking to both Manchester and Salford councils about delivering purely affordable housing schemes - that's the focus for us over the next five years.

"Like any other city in the world, we need good quality luxury accommodation, but you also need to ensure that other people don't get pushed out."

Photograph of Simon Ismail from the developer Salboy. He has short grey hair and is wearing a white shirt and navy blue jumper with a zip which is opened below the neck. The image shows him inside the company's head office on Salford Crescent. He is smiling. — Simon Ismail is the chief executive and co-founder of the developer Salboy

Salboy said the scheme would include six-storey blocks of flats across the four-acre site, with a supermarket, green spaces and a market square.

The firm was co-founded by the billionaire bookmaker Fred Done and his business partner Ismail, and has built almost 5,000 homes since 2014.

It is also planning a 76-storey skyscraper called Nobu Manchester, which will include a separate 23-storey tower offering 133 social rent homes.

Salboy has said it also wants to deliver social housing on its Castle Irwell site in Lower Broughton, which was previously home to accommodation for Salford University students.

Salboy CGI image of what is epected to be the tallest skyscraper in Manchester. The image shows Manchester Central conference centre and the Beetham Tower. — The planned Nobu skyscraper development in Manchester city centre includes a separate tower of social housing

Salford City Council said discussions on the housing scheme off Trinity Way were "at a very early stage".

"No investigations have yet been carried out into the suitability of the location and no decisions have been made," it said.

"Any proposals will be considered as part of the council's decision-making process and will be subject to planning approval."

According to the National Housing Federation, there are 4,565 households on the waiting list for social homes in Salford.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said delivering truly affordable housing was "a core priority".

Almost ten years ago, the authority launched its own housing company, Dérive.

Dennett said since 2019 it had completed 515 homes, with more than 300 offered at social rent, and had "hundreds more in the pipeline".

Photograph of Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council. She has short brown hair and is wearing a red roll-neck top with a black blazer and dark nrown glasses. She is smiling. The image shows her inside her office at Manchester Town Hall with a large boardroom table with about a dozen lime-green coloured chairs. — Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, said they wanted to encourage more social housing in the city

In neighbouring Manchester, the council has a 10-year housing strategy to help deliver at least 3,000 affordable homes in the city centre by 2032.

Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, said: "We are influencing private developers to deliver social homes in some of the most iconic schemes that they're building and that is a massive win-win for Manchester."

More than 300 affordable homes are being built in the Brewery Gardens development on the former Boddington's Brewery site.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.