Star date: 11th February 2021

HALF AN HOUR FILM OF MOCHA PARADE AND HIGH STREET ESTATE GHOST TOWN

A new half hour film by the Urban Collective of the ghost town that is Mocha Parade and the High Street Estate has already garnered over four thousand views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, despite rumours to the contrary, Lidl has confirmed to the Salford Star that "we remain very much committed to delivering a store to Mocha Parade".

Full details here...

The last shops on Mocha Parade in Lower Broughton have now been emptied ready for its ultimate demolition in a saga that has been going on for at least the last ten years. Gone a few years ago were the fish and chip shop, the hairdresser, cafe, the off licence and more, with just a few shops hanging on through the flood and the breaking up of the local community for the never ending 'regeneration'.

Now K's Chemist has moved to the old bank across the road, next to Oasis Aquarium, while the optician, taxi firm, fruit and veg shop, post office and newsagent, the doctors, even the foodbank and another chemist have vanished from the parade.

Less than two weeks ago, The Urban Collective posted a half hour film on its You Tube channel of Mocha Parade and the High Street Estate, titled Project Ghost Town, with some half memories as the team go on a tour of these rundown areas, central to Salford's regeneration and breaking up old communities.*

On the now deserted flattened High Street Estate, the Urban Collective team juxtapose footage of how the estate was a couple of years ago, to its dystopian now, noting that "They've still kept the camera"... "I can't believe it, man, this is so strange, you can't even tell that anything was here can you? Literally, it's like...it's unrecognisable...crazy..."

And then on to Mocha..."which many a Salfordian would have frequented over the years...what it looks like today is a far cry from when I was a kid...all that remains is a derelict ghost town...only fit for the pigeons..."

After messing shop keepers around for years, Salford Council finally announced its plans for a Lidl supermarket to be built on the site with a health centre, complete with some related units. None of the retail shops are expected to be present on the new parade when it's built.

There were even rumours that Lidl won't be building a new store because of flood insurance costs, but a spokesperson for Lidl confirmed that "We remain very much committed to delivering a store to Mocha Parade..."

* To watch the ace YouTube film by The Urban Collective – click here  

See also Salford Star article from 2012: Mocha Parade Next For The Bulldozers - click here