BDP submits plans for 41-storey co-living tower in Salford

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Proposals replace earlier scheme that foundered because of Covid-19 and Brexit

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BDP has submitted plans for a 41-storey co-living tower in Salford that will deliver 568 studio units.

Its plans for Progressive Living Developments centre on a 0.18ha site on Gorton Street that is currently used for surface parking.

In 2021, BDP submitted proposals for a 36-storey hotel and co-living scheme for the site, which is in the Greengate area. That scheme had a 171-room hotel on its lower 10 floors and 485 build-to-rent co-living rooms clustered around 135 apartments on the floors above.

BDP Salford 2023 1

Source: BDP

BDP’s revised proposals seen from New Bridge Street

However a planning statement supporting the latest application said the previous version of the scheme was not progressed because the proposed co-living and hotel operators pulled out due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.

Under the latest incarnation of the scheme, the hotel is removed and the co-living units are delivered as individual studios with their own bathrooms and kitchenettes. Communal facilities described as “more substantial” are located throughout the building.

The planning statement said the development would feature 11 styles of studio, ranging in size from 21sq m to 31sq m. Two studios described as “outliers” would be 52sq m.

Unlike 2021 scheme, the tower that is currently proposed will not be of staggered height. The latest incarnation of the tower will also feature a roof terrace for residents on the 37th floor; the earlier proposals featured a terrace on the 32nd floor.

Another difference with the earlier scheme involves proposals to convert eight railway arches adjacent to the site for a mixture of commercial and leisure purposes. That aspect of the development will now be dealt with in a separate planning application.

The planning statement said the proposals would deliver a “high-quality design and public realm” that reflects the character of the area in terms of its appearance and scale.

The project team for the Gorton Street tower includes planning consultancy Turley, transport specialist Croft Transport and Design, and sustainability consultant Novo. Hydrock is air-quality and flood-risk consultant.