Salford Council to approve city's tallest tower

Salford Council looks set to approve a mixed use project from Henley Investments that includes one of the tallest residential towers outside of London.

The project consists of ten buildings at Regent Park, a 130,000 sq foot site designated as a Local Centre under Salford City Council’s Planning Policy. The proposed design includes six towers, which increase in height across the site towards the River Irwell. The tallest will be 273m, making it one of the tallest residential towers in the UK.

Developers Henley Investment Management state: “Henley believes that Regent Park is a once in a lifetime regeneration scheme that has the potential to transform the future of Ordsall, Salford and beyond."

Masterplanning has been by Matt Brooks Architects, who note that: “Establishing a sense of community and fostering neighbourliness is a fundamental aspect of our vision for Regent Park. This includes ‘The Forum’, a space that combines site wide amenities such as a primary concierge, postal rooms and active travel facilities with spaces for the wider community.”

The development will provide 3,300 residential units and up to 10,000 sq m of commercial and community space. Plans also include provision car parking, mixed use retail and leisure spaces and a new public park. Plans highlight the importance of a mix of shops, cafes and restaurants as well as independent retailers.

The plans state that the site will be fossil fuel-free and  ‘electrically led’ and include the use of heat pumps for heating, domestic hot water and non-domestic cooling. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) are ‘anticipated to be included’ in each residential apartment and any commercial space. In addition, rooftop PV panels are also highlighted, allowing for installations up to 20% of ground floor space.