Manchester Road, Walkden

The transformation of a long-term vacant town centre site to create 46 affordable apartments and communal facilities for older persons.

Credit: David Hatton

For: Alderley Group

With: Housing21, BTP Architects

What is it: The transformation of a long-term vacant town centre site to create 46 affordable apartments and communal facilities for older persons.

Local Planning Authority: Salford City Council

What we did: We worked closely with Salford’s planning officers, engaging in valuable pre-application consultation to understand what the council’s ambitions for the site were.

Armed with this knowledge, combined with our existing understanding of the site and its context, we prepared a comprehensive planning application that was unanimously supported by Salford’s planning committee.

The challenge

Alderley Group – a national leading operator of retirement accommodation – was working to a tight funding deadline, but still needed to make sure that the final development would fully meet the specific requirements of Housing21, the end-user.

What’s more, the brownfield site had historically faced viability issues and had sat vacant for many years.

The site was also close to a number of heritage assets, all of which meant that scale and design were key areas of focus for the applicant and planning authority alike.

The solution

We advised entering into a Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) to ensure that Salford City Council had the resources available to determine the application in a timely fashion. 

We also made sure that the application package itself ticked every box and gave a clear case for the scheme’s approval, clearly highlighting the benefits of the proposed affordable and older persons accommodation, and why an all-residential development represented the optimum solution for the site – an approach that had, initially, been queried by the planning authority. 

Our regular communication with the proactive and pragmatic case officer, who we knew well, meant we could have constructive discussions around the proposed design, allowing amendments to be made and submitted promptly. 

We swiftly coordinated additional information so that the application could be presented to planning committee with a strong recommendation for approval, within the required timescales.

The benefits

All in all, our approach to engage meaningfully with the local planning authority from the start meant the project progressed in a collaborative fashion, achieving a design that the council could fully support without jeopardising its deliverability. 

The result is a well-designed development that completely transforms a vacant site, responds sympathetically to its surroundings and contributes positively to the ongoing regeneration of Walkden. Critically, it will also deliver affordable housing for older persons, a form of accommodation for which there is an acute, national need.

The site’s sustainable location, at a prominent position within Walkden town centre, means that residents will have easy access to a range of services and amenities, enabling them to live independently for longer and feel more connected to their community. The scheme will also contribute to the vibrancy and local economy of the town centre. 

Since securing planning permission we’ve agreed a further PPA with the council to cover the review of pre-commencement conditions, allowing Alderley Group to make a prompt start on site.