'We don't want our city gentrifying....'

Opposition is mounting to a huge new inner-city neighbourhood featuring 10 new apartment blocks and a five acre park. A developer wants to demolish a large of part of Regent Road Retail Park in Salford over the next few years to redevelop the area.

It will mean outlets like Costa Coffee, TK Maxx, Home Bargains would all disappear. Henley Investment Management bought the shopping centre for £16million in 2020, and a public consultation took place at nearby Salford Lads Club on Friday where the plans were on display.

A planning application is expected to be submitted to Salford city council before the end of the year. If planning permission is approved stores currently on the site would remain open until 2026 when the lease expires.

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Sainsbury's supermarket, which occupies much of the site off Regent Road, is not affected. Coun Ben Grogran represents the Orsdsall ward in which the retail park sits.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “My two main concerns about the development are about the loss of jobs and about the loss of retail which a lot of the community relies on including the chemist, the vets, and affordable shops).

“The retail park is listed as a Local Centre in Salford's Local Plan because of this, and people think that it's very unlikely that the retail provision that the developers are proposing will cater for the needs of Ordsall's existing community. This is one of the only retail parks I can think of that is fully occupied but the developers still purchased the land with the sole intention of knocking it