Henley Investment Management’s £1.3bn proposals survive onsalught of opposition from members of the public and campaigners

Salford council has approved plans for one of the tallest residential developments in the country despite an onslaught of thousands of objections from members of the public and campaigners.

Henley Investment Management’s £1.3bn proposals to replace Regent Retail Park in Ordsall with 10 buildings including towers up to 78 storeys in height were signed off yesterday by Salford councillors after two hours of debate with seven voting in favour and three against.

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The decision means the 3,300-home proposals, designed by Matt Brook Architects, have survived two petitions opposing the scheme with more than 4,300 combined signatories, 455 objections following a public engagement and opposition from the local MP Rebecca Long-Bailey.

Yesterday’s vote comes three months after the council deferred a decision on the application due to concerns over the scheme’s share of affordable housing and worries over an increase of traffic levels around the site.

Salford’s planning officers now say both sets of concerns have been dealt with following discussions between Henley Investment Management and the council since July, with the developer having now agreed a draft lease agreement to deliver 20% of housing on the scheme at social rent “regardless of grant funding availability”.

Officers said the council and the developer would now work together to secure funding from Homes England and other sources for the 660 social rent homes.

The pair also agreed that no more than 80% of private units in any phase of the scheme can be occupied until all corresponding affordable units are ready, and the first block of the first phase of the scheme must consist entirely of affordable housing.

The developer also supplied additional traffic modelling showing vehicle trips would only increase “marginally” during the morning peak travel time around the site.

The application still faced strong opposition at yesterday’s meeting with one objector describing the cluster of proposed towers as a “concrete jungle”, and Labour MP Long-Bailey warning the scheme could “devastate” Salford if the council “gets it wrong”.

Henley has described the 4ha island site as a “prime example of an inner-city retail park with significant redevelopment potential”, with enough space to accommodate dense development and provide the necessary infrastructure.

At 273m in height, the scheme’s tallest tower is set to be the fourth tallest building in the UK behind the Shard, 22 Bishopsgate and the under-construction 1 Undershaft.

The scheme will also contain 10,000sq m of retail and community space to replace the existing shopping centre, which Henley purchased from M&G for £16m in 2020.

The project team includes landscape architect LDA Design, planning consultant Savills, project manager Buro Four, civil and structural engineer AKT II, cost consultant Gardiner & Theobald, townscape consultant Turley and environmental impact consultant Trium.

Henley is targeting vacant possession of the first phase of the site by 2026.

The scheme is located in a rapidly developing part of central Salford which also includes plans by developer Salboy for the 76-storey Viadux tower designed by Simpson Haugh.