![\"Salford's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS384464761-2.jpg\")
Salford’s skyline is about to change forever (Image: Henley Investment Management)<\/p>\nThe northern part of Regent Retail Park will be demolished to make way for the scheme.<\/p>\n
13:29, 06 Nov 2025Updated 13:29, 06 Nov 2025<\/p>\n
Salford’s skyline is about to change forever (Image: Henley Investment Management)<\/p>\n
Greater Manchester\u2019s tallest skyscraper will be built in Salford after a \u00a31bn development to build 3,300 homes in the city was approved despite vocal opposition.<\/p>\n
The controversial scheme by Henley Investment Management (HIM) was opposed by hundreds of residents who submitted objections, as well as Salford<\/a> MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and councillors Brendan Keville and Ben Grogan.<\/p>\n To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n It is based on the northern section of Regent Retail Park off Regent Road in Ordsall, where the wider community is made up of dense terraced housing, is home to the historic Salford Lads’ Club, and has major roads with access to Salford Quays<\/a> and Manchester city centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bosses behind the plans said it will be the \u2018biggest housing-led development in Salford for 50 years\u2019<\/a>, with a commitment to build 660 affordable homes at the site as well as a local centre, a public park, and space for healthcare facilities.<\/p>\n They said it would pump \u00a33.7m a year into the city through council tax and bring many other benefits.<\/p>\n Salford has 5,000 people on its housing register, and is facing huge demand for new homes.<\/p>\n But concerns were raised by some at today\u2019s planning meeting over whether the scheme would benefit the city overall.<\/p>\n Join the Manchester Evening News <\/strong>WhatsApp<\/strong> group <\/strong>HERE<\/a><\/p>\n Rebecca Long-Bailey MP spoke about the need for more services in the area and urged HIM to withdraw its planning application and reconsult with residents over the plans.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cWith the increase in population in 6 to 7,000 residents, there will be a need for extra GP places, school places, dentist places and a chemist, and at the moment there are still too many questions left unanswered.\u201d<\/p>\n John Grant, one of the objectors speaking at the meeting, added: \u201c3,300 apartments in this tiny block is massive overdevelopment, 3,300 homes here would create a concrete jungle, 3,300 homes would sound the death knell of Ordsall as we know it now.\u201d<\/p>\n Ordsall councillors Brendan Keville and Ben Grogan also spoke against the plans.<\/p>\n Coun Keville said local services in the neighbourhood are ‘already stretched to breaking point’, and accused the developer of planning to build ‘luxury apartments in tall towers designed for investors not residents’.<\/p>\n Jay Squier, managing director at Henley Investment Management, defended the application, describing the designs as a ‘once in a generation opportunity for Salford’ which would bring major benefits to the city.<\/p>\n Addressing concerns from councillors and residents, he said: “A refusal today would not mean later, it would mean saying no to 660 affordable homes at social rent in the city centre.”<\/p>\n During the panel\u2019s discussion, some councillors said they were concerned about the impact of the development on the city.<\/p>\n Coun Robin Garrido said he believes the site needs to be developed, but urged the panel to consider the traffic impacts it could have.<\/p>\n He added: “You can’t get away from the fact that traffic is static in that area virtually every day.<\/p>\n \u201cThis development will have an enormous effect on local traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n Coun Mike McCusker, the council\u2019s lead member for planning, supported the plans and moved it for approval.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re moving to small shops that are there primarily to deal with residents\u2019 needs rather than big box stores in the past, so change is inevitable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Coun McCusker also spoke about the urgent need for new homes, adding: \u201c660 affordable houses is a huge amount that will have a massive impact on our waiting list and residents in Ordsall whose kids can\u2019t get out the house in their late 30s.\u201d<\/p>\n Coun Andrew Walters said he had \u2018significant concern\u2019 about how the development could put pressure on parking issues.<\/p>\n Salford council\u2019s planning panel voted to approve the application during the crunch meeting today (Thursday, November 6) with seven votes in favour and three against.<\/p>\n A blueprint for the future of the site showed it will have 10,000 sqm of space set aside for community uses as well as shops and businesses.<\/p>\n Approval of the plans will see the northern half of Regent Retail Park off Regent Road knocked down to make way for the new homes, with construction set to last ten years.<\/p>\n The scheme does not cover the southern section of the site where the Sainsbury\u2019s is located.<\/p>\n Ten new blocks made of a red-brick colour palette will replace the existing shops, with concept drawings showing the biggest up to 78 stories tall (273m Above Ordnance Datum), and 600 car parking spaces in the development.<\/p>\n It will be a complete transformation of the site which is based close to the River Irwell and the boundary with Manchester city centre.<\/p>\n The changes include a new bus gate on the southern part of the Ordsall Lane\/Middlewood Street\/East Ordsall Lane\/Hampson Street signal junction.<\/p>\n Redesigning this junction is expected to be a CYCLOPS junction, which stands for Cycle Optimised Protected Signals, designed to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians by separating them from motor traffic.<\/p>\n A trip generator forecast showed there would be more than 5,000 fewer daily trips at the site compared to the current retail park use, with a minor increase in traffic during the morning rush hour.<\/p>\n A Salford council officer said: \u201cYou look around the road network and the magnitude of change is negligible.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 460 letters of objections were sent to Salford council about the scheme, with concerns ranging from fears about the loss of shops at the Retail Park to concerns about how the scheme could impact local roads and parking.<\/p>\n The Save Regent Retail Park Campaign was set up to oppose the plans, with petitions to protect the shops signed by thousands of people.<\/p>\n HIM previously said all the existing shops at the Retail Park have been invited back to the new development.<\/p>\n The application was supposed to be decided in July, but councillors at the time postponed the decision to ask for more detailed information about affordable housing and the impact on local roads.<\/p>\n HIM submitted new information which was shared at today\u2019s planning meeting<\/p>\n The developer highlighted its commitment to reserving 660 homes for \u2018social rent or another form approved by the city council\u2019 through a lease agreement with the town hall.<\/p>\n An updated information pack also stated that healthcare services could be set up within the site, with the NHS<\/a> to be offered \u2018first refusal\u2019 on floorspace to meet any \u2018evidenced needs\u2019 in the area.<\/p>\n Salford council officers noted in the planning report that the lease agreement would \u2018provide the mechanism to secure the affordable housing offer\u2019, and that 3,300 new homes \u2018would not result in a severe impact on the highway network\u2019.<\/p>\n They recommended the plans be approved by councillors in light of the information provided by HIM.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS292404978-2.jpg\")
The plans include a new public park and open space (Image: Henley Investment Management)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS292404982.jpg\")
The 3,300 homes will be spread across ten towers (Image: Henley Investment Management)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS350970053-2.jpg\")
The developer said all the existing shops at Regent Retail Park have been invited back to the site (Image: Declan Carey)<\/p>\n
![\"Salford](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_JS386947941.jpg\")
Salford councils planning meeting on November 6, 2025.<\/p>\n