Residents see red over ‘Communist’ homes plan
FEARS DESIGN WILL MAKE AREA ‘LAUGHING STOCK OF THE UK’
LOCALS fear 150 ‘Communist’-style new homes will make their area the ‘laughing stock of the UK.’
The new majority-affordable neighbourhood will be built on two patches of land in Seedley, Salford – on Kara Street and off Liverpool Street – after councillors approved the plans.
Some 111 new houses and 46 apartments will be built on the plots, which have been empty since 2008 - after the terraced homes that used to sit there were demolished.
But while supporters say the development will bring much-needed accommodation and continue the district’s regeneration, others said the design is so bad it could damage the city’s reputation. Resident Lynne Pringle-Adley told the planning committee: “Our area will be once more a target for the media for all the wrong reasons and we’ll be the laughing stock of the UK.”
Comments she’d seen on Facebook described the plans as ‘Legoland, a 60s eyesore, Communist and a concrete jungle.’ Mrs Pringle-Adley said she had been involved in the area’s regeneration and was concerned that the new buildings would damage community spirit. “It’s a very emotional subject for me – I want it to look nice and not an absolute shambles. I don’t want to put up with any more embarrassing comments about Salford.” She added that the new buildings would be more fitting in ‘Greece, the Middle East or North Africa.’
Coun Bob Clarke, who sits on the planning committee and opposed the development, said the proposal was ‘deeply disturbing.’ He told members: “A few weeks ago we went around a tour of Salford and looked at previous planning disasters and hey ho, we’ve got another one.”
He said that what he saw as a lack of green space – some homes will have gardens while others will have roof terraces – was ‘unacceptable.’
He added: “We’ve got a blank sheet of paper here where we could have done something spectacular but no, we carry on with the same old, same old.”
But those who spoke in support of the plans said that there was ample green space nearby – in Langworthy Park and Chimney Pot Park – and added that the development was one of the very few that came before the planning panel that not only met the new homes the council’s minimum affordable housing requirements but well exceeded them.
The mix of housing would see 91 affordable homes, including some that would be council-owned, while others would be a mix of affordable rent, shared ownership and community housing. Coun Derek Antrobus said: “You’d think that those who are always crying out for affordable housing would be rejoicing.”
He added that concerns raised about overlooking – some neighbours said they’d lose their privacy by the new roof terraces – were mitigated by privacy barriers.
Mark Saunders, representing the developers, said that the plans had received a good response during the consultation and the new neighbourhood ‘symbolises recovery.’
The town hall has agreed to dispose of the land to developers Salix Homes and Step Places in a deal worth £3.2m to the council.