MP calls for £1bn homes plan to be rejecteed

PLANS for a huge skyscraper development in Salford won't help the city's housing crisis and should be rejected, Rebecca Long-Bailey has said.

- DECLAN CAREY

Henley Investment Management has submitted plans to build 3,300 homes at Salford Regent Retail Park, creating new commercial space, a public park and a skyscraper more than 70 stories tall.

But Salford's MP said the £1 billion scheme will not deliver any affordable homes and could make the city's housing crisis worse.

She said it could lead to a loss of jobs and create parking problems, as it has the potential for 6,000 new residents coming to the area, with 600 parking spaces included in the plans.

She added that there are more than 6,000 people on the city's housing register and that the proposed development could 'exacerbate the housing crisis by excluding lower-income residents:

In a letter to Salford council, she called for the plans to be rejected for not ensuring 20 per cent of the planned homes are 'affordable' housing, which is a requirement in Salford's local plan.

"These plans won't help tackle the urgent need for social and affordable housing, won't help with the loss of shops, existing employment and parking and will drastically impact Salford's skyline," Ms Long-Bailey said.