Salford City Council is re-examining Henley Investment Management’s £1.3bn redevelopment plans for Regent Retail Park in Salford, which were approved last November, following a local backlash against the scheme.
CGI of Henley’s Regent Park redevelopment, Salford
The scheme would include around 660 affordable homes over 10 buildings, as part of a total of 3,300 new homes. The tallest block would stand at 78 storeys, making it the tallest building in the area.
The approval process is set to be reconsidered after Salford City Council’s legal department upheld a complaint by the Save Regent Retail Park campaign group.
According to the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service, the complaint alleged that there had been a “procedural conflict of interest” involving councillor Philip Cusack, then chair of the planning committee and director of Derive, Salford City Council’s social housing company.
The scheme was approved despite a wave of objections and complaints from campaigners and local residents, including Save Regent Retail Park, which said the development would increase pollution, would result in a loss of local shops and would not contribute enough to local infrastructure.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour MP for Salford, also lodged a letter of objection, arguing that the scheme would result in the loss of local shops, as well as affect the local character and distinctiveness of the area. She added that the project lacked adequate affordable housing and had too few parking spaces.
“While residents and I support fully the urgent need for housing, it is essential that any proposed development aligns with the policies laid out in the Salford Local Plan, is sympathetic to the interests of the existing communities and helps to address the housing crisis in Salford,” Long-Bailey said.
“Sadly, for the reasons outlined above, the application fails to do that. I therefore request that both the planning department and planning panel agree that this application is not suitable and needs to be refused in the first instance.”
According to a Salford City Council spokesperson, while the application for development at Regent Retail Park remains under consideration, it has not been “withdrawn” or “refused” and is expected to be brought back to the planning and transportation regulatory panel at a later date.
The spokesperson added: “The previous resolution to grant permission for development at Regent Retail Park was subject to conditions and completion of a legal agreement. It is not necessary for the application to be withdrawn; it will be reconsidered by the planning panel.”
A spokesperson for Henley said: “We have not withdrawn our planning application and are pressing ahead with our development to build over 3,000 new homes, around a quarter of which will be social rented accommodation and supporting public amenities for the local community.
“We are committed to working with the council to advance our plans through the appropriate procedures, as we are advised. We are aware of the council’s internal procedural issue, which is frustrating, but we have a close ongoing dialogue and they are keeping us updated.”
The 3,300 energy-efficient homes planned for the area would include a mix of house and tenure types, as well as 15 retail units, spanning a total of 86,000 sq ft, plus 10,000 sq ft for community use and a 3.5-acre park.
Save Regent Retail Park has been contacted for comment.
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