Detailed planning consent had been granted by Salford City Council for the delivery of a third phase at Middlewood Locks, the award winning, new 25-acre mixed use development at the western gateway to Manchester’s business district.
Phase three will comprise a further 189 new homes, adding to the 1,117 new homes either under construction or completed in the vibrant new neighbourhood. This includes 176 one to three-bedroom apartments situated in two buildings of 10 and 12 storeys on the northern side of the canal. There will also be 13, waterside, three and four-bedroom, three storey townhouses, suitable for family living.
Almost all of the homes will have private outdoor space by way of a balcony, terrace or garden and a generous communal podium garden will be created for the benefit of the residents There will be 61 under croft car parking spaces and 40 bicycle spaces.
This phase will also incorporate 5,150 sq ft of ground floor commercial/retail accommodation and an additional 4,970 sq ft of offices within an already thriving amenity and leisure hub which is home to Seven Brothers Beerhouse and Co-op.
Middlewood Locks is a joint venture between Scarborough International Properties, Hualing Group, based in Urumqui, Xinjiang, in China and Metro Holdings Limited, a Singapore-listed property development and investment group.
The first phase was completed with high acclaim and great demand for the broad mix of contemporary living spaces that is highly convenient to the city centre and with great public realm. The second phase of homes is currently under construction and will be ready for completion next year.
When completed, it will provide a total of 2,215 new homes and 900,000 sq ft of commercial space, including offices, hotel, shops, restaurants, and gym. With landscaped areas of green public space, the scheme is being developed around three large basins of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal which connect to the River Irwell and is a short walk from the central business district and retail amenities of Manchester city centre.
Overall, the site has a gross development value of more than £700 million and is expected to create more than 7,000 jobs for the area.
Paul Kelly, Development Director at Scarborough, said:
“We are delighted to secure consent to move forward with phase three as part of our full commitment to deliver the grand vision that is Middlewood Locks. This development is providing much needed homes in the city with fantastic doorstep amenity that remains in high demand. It also provides high-quality commercial and office space that will compliment and add to the existing offer at Middlewood Locks.”
Nicola Wallis, Sales & Marketing Director said:
“This is great news for the community of Middlewood Locks as we seek to build upon this stunning new neighbourhood with a further 189 much needed new homes. The contemporary townhouses and apartments will be situated around a private residents’ garden, making the most of the public realm and waterside location, with fantastic views towards the city. The new homes are designed to a high specification, filled with natural light, making it ideal for the growing number of people working from home…yet it’s just a short walk or cycle to the bustling city centre of Manchester.
“Middlewood Locks is already a great community with many owner occupiers and over 50% of our customers purchasing under the governments Help to Buy scheme. We have seen a demand for family homes and also from people wanting to downsize at Middlewood Locks, so it’s important that the homes in phase three cater for this market too”.
Scarborough International Properties expects to start on this new phase in early 2021 with completion expected in late 2022. Phase II was topped out in February of this year and will be completed in 2021.
Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) is the construction partner whilst Whittam Cox Architects is design partner and Zerum is the scheme’s planning advisor.
