02 March 2010

£10.8million kick-starts Chapel Street redevelopment

The NWDA is granting £10.76million to launch the redevelopment of the Chapel Street area in Salford.

Investment will provide the public infrastructure needed to set in motion a major mixed-use redevelopment scheme in the heart of the city, which will eventually generate over £650million in private sector investment.

Funding of £8.97million from the NWDA and a further £1.79million under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which is managed in the Northwest by the NWDA, will establish high quality public spaces and highways will which connect future retail, housing, leisure and office developments.

The final scheme will generate some 11,000 jobs, 220,000m2 of commercial floor space for office, retail, and leisure development, 849 homes and 390 hotel rooms.

Public sector investment in infrastructure is critical to make the Chapel Street area financially viable and attractive to the private sector.

Paul Lakin, Director of Land and Property at the NWDA, said:
“The proposals for Chapel Street will create a vibrant new city centre in Salford and I am pleased that this funding means we can begin to turn these plans into reality. This illustrates how our targeted interventions can help to stimulate private investment and support economic recovery.
"The Chapel Street area has huge potential but needs significant public investment to create the type of environment which is essential to attract high levels of private investment.
"It will be a monumental project which will mean more jobs, economic vitality and a better future for both Salford and Manchester."

The redevelopment plans for Chapel Street, which have been led by Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company (URC) with developer partner English Cities fund (ECF) were approved by Salford City Council in January 2010 following more than two years of consultation with the community and stakeholders. It aims to deliver the holistic regeneration of this important part of Salford for the benefit of existing and potential residents, businesses and visitors.

Works to reduce traffic and create a better physical environment funded by NWDA and ERDF investment will take place in two phases. 

Chapel Street links Salford, including MediaCityUK, to Manchester city centre and currently carries some of the highest traffic flows into Manchester city centre from the west.

The first phase, which will start immediately, will be a package of junction improvements and highway configuration to divert traffic away from Chapel Street.

These works will take place at Broad Street/Albion Way; Albion Way/Liverpool Street and Regent Road/Oldfield Road junctions.

Once the first phase has completed in autumn, a series of improvements in public spaces will begin on Chapel Street.

This second phase includes new street furniture, lighting, signage, tree-planting and widening of footpaths; new public squares at Salford Cathedral and St Phillips Church to provide better connectivity to the historic core of Salford and new pedestrian crossing points.

In total, some 14,000 sq metres of public spaces will be improved.

The investment will make Chapel Street more pedestrian-friendly and create a safer, calmer environment for businesses and visitors.

Chris Farrow, Chief Executive, Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company said:
“This funding enables us to deliver the right infrastructure for Chapel Street to generate 11,000 new jobs and 849 new homes. Importantly, it allows us to get on and deliver what the local community has been telling us they want, to revitalise the historic heart of the City.”

The Chapel Street corridor links Salford University’s campus, through the historic heart of Salford, to vacant land around Salford Central Station and the riverbank opposite Manchester’s successful business district of Spinningfields.

The overall aim is to create a major expansion of the region’s commercial centre within the old city of Salford to meet the needs of key business sectors, including the financial and professional services. A new Commercial Quarter will be established next to Spinningfields.

Cllr Derek Antrobus, Salford City Council lead member for planning at Salford Council, said: “This funding is critical to get the plans off the ground and we are grateful to the NWDA for their support. These major highway works and public space improvements are essential in order to create the right conditions for major investment by the private sector.”

The ambitious plans cover 17 hectares around the main road of Chapel Street, Salford Central station and the Adelphi and Bexley Square Conservation Area which features St Phillips Church and Salford Cathedral.

-Ends-

Images are available on request.

For further information please contact Sam Shale, Press Officer, on 01925 400264 or 07717 427872 or sam.shale@nwda.co.uk 

Notes for Editors

Future infrastructure and environmental improvements will be delivered by the private sector to build on those funded by NWDA and ERDF.

The zones in the planning application include:

Chapel Street Highways Zone
Central to the proposals along Chapel Street is a new square, St John's Place, opposite the cathedral incorporating Chapel Street, which aims to emphasise the setting of Salford Cathedral. Alongside this the aim is to reduce the dominance of vehicles and provide greater space for pedestrians and create better links across the highway reconnecting the historic core with the existing community on the south side.

Irwell Quays
This area is next to Manchester City Centre, bound to the north by Trinity Way and to the south by the River Irwell, it consists of hard standing and some scrubland while the topography is mainly flat.

A new commercial district at Irwell Quays is planned with new office development and ground floor commercial or retail use as well as a multi-storey car park. New pedestrian and cycle routes, riverside walk link to the Commercial Quarter to the north and the residential area and riverside open space to south in the Irwell Quays Residential area.

Commercial Quarter
This area is to the east of the Quays and is bound by Salford Central train station to the north and a continuation of the River Irwell to the south. It consists of a large surface car park to the south of the station and office blocks.

The Commercial Quarter will have its own distinct identity benefiting from its unique location next to the River Irwell, historic railway arches and its proximity to city routes. A new pedestrian bridge crossing the Irwell and linking the Quarter to Spinningfields is planned as well as a new square, riverside walkway and cycle route linked to Irwell City Park. New public realm will feature throughout the area linking the Irwell Quays, Salford Station and Gore Street.

There will be potential for a hotel providing up to 250 bed spaces and a new multi-storey car park. The Mark Addy public house will be redeveloped and Riverside House will be retained for commercial and leisure use.

Irwell Quays Residential
Located southwest of Irwell Quays this area is the final development zone located along the river. A linear zone, it is bound by Trinity Way to the north and the river to the south.

The focus for the area is a new apartment led residential development on the banks of the River Irwell. Elsewhere public realm will be developed with new open space, a riverside walk linking to the Manchester, Bolton, Bury canal and new cycle routes will be provided as part of Irwell River Park.

Gore Street
A mix of uses are proposed for Gore Street, located to the north of Central Station and connected to the Commercial Quarter to the south via pedestrian routes through the railway viaduct. It will be led by new office development positioned to benefit from the neighbouring station and Commercial Quarter. There is the potential for a new boutique hotel with up to 140 bed spaces, and a landmark building fronting on to Chapel Street.

The Egerton Arms Hotel pub and the Brown Brothers buildings will remain, the later converted for commercial/office use.

Chapel Street South
Land south of Chapel Street will be the focus for new development with a mix of uses for office, commercial, retail and residential providing an active frontage on to Chapel Street. Alongside this new development the vacant Bell Tower and Ye Olde Nelson public houses will be retained and converted for commercial/leisure use.

A mix of apartments above new commercial, retail and office floor space will be provided to ensure active frontages on to Chapel Street, in a series of individual buildings and blocks, some with private courtyards. The retail, office and studio floor space will be focused on the promotion of creative and local business. Elsewhere the focus will be on family town houses linked to Islington Estate and provision of new local shopping provision for the community, including a neighbourhood supermarket.

Chapel Street North
The area is the historic core of Salford City Centre and includes the Adelphi and Bexley Square Conservation Area. No changes are proposed to existing buildings. However, improved public realm, streets and footpaths are planned with a new civic square and public space improving the setting of St Philip’s church.

St Philips Church NE
Located to the north east of Grade II* listed St Philip’s church, the area comprises cleared land of former homes and residential town houses. Family town houses are proposed for an area of currently underused cleared space alongside a small number of apartments, reinstating the traditional urban streets.

St Philips Church SE
Situated north of Chapel Street the area currently comprises a row of existing modern properties bound by Great George Street to the east and St Philips place to the west. Peel Park Inn and listed Manchester and Salford Savings Bank Public House, which fronts on to Chapel Street will be retained and reused for commercial/office use. New family town houses will be provided on the cleared land and part of Bank Street to formally enclose St Philip's church square.

Islington Park
The park consists of green space with pedestrian routes through it and is located to the south of Chapel Street. Improvements will be made to the park with an additional area of civic space to enhance and widen the park.

Adelphi Street This area, situated to the north of the former Salford Royal hospital, which has been successfully converted into apartments on Chapel Street, is currently vacant. The site here, which has planning consent, will see a residential-led mixed use development of apartments with some townhouses and commercial space around a central courtyard.

In 2006 Central Salford URC entered into a development agreement with English Cities Fund and Salford City Council to tackle the long term regeneration of the Chapel Street area. The overall arrangements allow for the involvement of other investors and developers as well.

The Central Salford Integrated Transport Strategy (CSITS), which was adopted by Salford City Council in July 2009, incorporates a corridor plan for Chapel Street which aims to calm Chapel Street, reducing traffic volumes by some 30% to allow it to reclaim its place as the “Heart of Salford” once again.  Delivery of specific elements of site infrastructure, including major junction improvements is essential to meeting the aims of the CSITS.

The lead organisation and Accountable Body for the administration of both the NWDA and ERDF grant is Salford City Council.

The organisation responsible for the delivery of the public realm and infrastructure works is Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company.

Central Salford URC will be supported by Urban Vision who will ensure that all technical aspects of the infrastructure project are addressed and will oversee works whilst on site.

When the overall Chapel Street redevelopment is complete it will create £215 million per annum net GVA uplift for the Northwest.

For urgent out of hours press enquiries for the NWDA please call 01925 400259.

For further information and to view all press releases visit us at www.nwda.co.uk/press

The Northwest Regional Development Agency works to deliver economic success in England’s Northwest by building the competitiveness of businesses, people and places. Our strategic influence on transport, housing and economic planning helps to deliver high impact projects that will enhance the quality of life for people living in, working in or visiting the Northwest.