Bold Street, Old Trafford
Artist’s impression of approved scheme at Bold Street, Old Trafford. Credit: Levitt Bernstein
147 quality new homes, meeting design and accessible standards, within Trafford’s inner area.
For: Homes for Trafford
With: Levitt Bernstein and Civic Engineers
What is it : A carefully designed infill site which provides 147 new homes in a sustainable location in Old Trafford.
Local planning authority: Trafford Council
What we did: Advising our long-term client L&Q, in its joint venture with Trafford Council, Homes for Trafford, we led on planning negotiations on this site which lies within a priority regeneration area in Old Trafford.
We tackled challenges around viability and biodiversity net gain head on, to work collaboratively with planning officers and achieve planning permission for nearly 150 new homes.
The challenge
At Bold Street the challenge was clear. This brownfield site had lain vacant for some years, and had a long history of viability challenges.
And while residential was undoubtedly the best use for the site, a previous development proposal for the site had failed to come forward for viability reasons.
Pre-application negotiations for the scheme took place around the time that Trafford Council was in the process of drawing up the Trafford Design Code, making the Bold Street proposal one of the Council’s first major schemes to come forward in line with the Design Code.
We knew it was important to draw up a scheme that ticked the box on delivering Trafford’s placemaking ambitions for the site while still remaining viable so it could be delivered.
The solution
Working closely with the client, consultant team and Council in its capacity as local planning authority, we navigated the implications of the emerging design code and kept open lines of communication between all parties as the design evolved.
We proactively worked with Trafford’s planning and highway officers to make sure the final proposal was a scheme that all parties were happy with. The approved scheme not only met with design officers’ ambitions for the site, in line with the design code, but also achieved space and accessibility standards, all while also incorporate low-energy design details to reduce heating demand and heat loss, and balance daylight and solar gain.
Achieving a net gain in on-site biodiversity was also a challenge; given the length of time the site had lain vacant, it had a high baseline biodiversity score. But the submitted scheme took every opportunity to deliver lots of added value, with plenty of quality open spaces. This, coupled with appropriate offsetting to be agreed within the legal agreement, has helped to unlock this difficult site.
Artist’s impression of approved scheme. Credit: Levitt Bernstein
The benefits
Being committed to working collaboratively and proactively to understand and meet stakeholders’ different priorities was absolutely key to unlocking this stalled site.
As a result, the approved scheme will transform this part of Old Trafford, providing a new sustainable, low energy neighbourhood with all homes meeting minimum space standards and achieving accessible and adaptable standards, too.
There’s also over 5,000sqm of new public open space and 104 new trees being provided.
With the provision of 147 new homes including 48 affordable homes, this scheme will make a significant impact on lives.
Artist’s impression of approved scheme. Credit: Levitt Bernstein