One of the most ambitious developments for the city over the next ten years is being proposed in plans submitted last week to Salford City Council by FREP3 (Salford) Ltd, otherwise known as Royalton Group and Frogmore.
The company plans up to 1,495 homes, 3,218 square metres of commercial, retail and leisure spaces, two hotels, outdoor swimming or 'harbour lido baths', a new access road, parking spaces including a multi-storey and two new bridges...all within a Flood Zone 2, which carries a 'medium risk' of flooding..
The proposed buildings in the re-named 'Cotton Quay' range from 25 storeys to 48 storeys, which will make the latter the tallest tower in Salford Quays. Meanwhile the 'harbour baths' sited within the current St Francis Basin, "will include an open 50metre pool with four swimming lanes, a dedicated children's pool (heated and chlorinated), a lifeguard tower, changing facilities, lockers and a sunbathing terrace" states the application "A green roof and floating gardens have also been incorporated into the design of the baths."
The developer has submitted a 'hybrid' planning application, in which full planning permission is being requested for the first 491 dwellings; 2,296 square metres of retail space etc, 'a hotel, multi-storey car park with play park, climbing wall and bouldering area; harbour lido; public realm and landscaping; floating gardens; realigned access road and internal cycle and pedestrian links; two new bridges; and other associated works...'
'Outline planning permission', which decides the suitability of the plans in outline, including the level of planning obligations, is being sought for everything else, including up to 1,004 dwellings; 920 square metres of retail etc, the other hotel and car parking.
While the plans look ambitious and possibly exciting, as usual, the developer doesn't have to provide any affordable housing, thanks to Salford Council's own planning policy which it still hasn't changed that deems no affordable housing has to be handed over for high density apartment schemes in 'high value' areas, of which the Quays is one.
"Clearly the provision of affordable housing is a key priority for the Council as well as securing the right type of affordable accommodation" the planning application states without any hint of irony "This scheme is not required to deliver affordable housing that meets the definition set out in the Councils policies or the Framework..."
Nor does it look like the developer is proposing to pay any fees for public realm or public space...
"The appraisal concludes that the public realm and open space works proposed as part of the detailed element of the development would far exceed that in terms of cost compared to that which would ordinarily be requested by the Council as a result of applying the calculations in the SPD [Supplementary Planning Document]" states the developer "This is as a result of the high quality nature of the public realm and open space proposals necessary to complement the wider development...."
Expect the Council planning officers and planning panel of councillors to roll over and agree. Last time this site came up for planning permission, in 2016 for 600 flats, the developer TH Real Estate should have been paying £2,898,180 in planning fees for 'open space' and 'public realm'. Instead, after a 'viability assessment' had been produced, the Council asked for a mere £350,000, plus a clawback agreement, losing the city a potential £2.5million in payments.
At the time, the Salford Star revealed that the developer could be allowed to make a £24million profit included in the building costs equation in its viability assessment (for details see the previous Salford Star article click here).
Since then, nothing has changed at the Council, although it recently announced that it was intending to split its new Local Plan in two, bringing one bit of it forward while everyone faffs around with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to which it is tied. By the time it's all sorted, huge developments like these will already have had their 'cheap' planning applications approved.
Oh well, at least the prospect of a freezing cold outdoor pool and a play area should turn the councillors on, while nodding approval when the scheme comes before their planning panel in the near future...
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