Consent for New Bailey office, Chapel Street hotel

A 113,000 sq ft office block, the fifth to come forward under English Cities Fund’s central Salford masterplan, and RJR Securities’ 16-storey hotel have been granted planning approval by Salford City Council. 

Plot A3 New Bailey 

Make Architects designed the scheme

Developer: English Cities Fund – a consortium made up of Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England  

Architect: Make Architects  

Planner: Avison Young  

The 12-storey office block, which features a distinctive planted façade, would be built on New Bailey’s plot A3, on a site on the corner of Trinity Way and Irwell Street previously earmarked for a 33-storey apartment block.  

Plans for the office, which features ground floor retail or leisure space, were lodged last November, after the developer opted to pursue further commercial development “on the basis that the office market is presently performing well at New Bailey”, the scheme’s planning consultant Avison Young said.   

English Cities Fund has already secured several high-profile tenants at New Bailey, including telecommunications giant BT, law firms BLM and Eversheds Sutherland, and HM Revenue and Customs.  

Last week, BLM appointed workplace contractor TSK to fit out its 70,000 sq ft office. 

The latest office block would be located next to the NCP car park, one of the first components of New Bailey to be completed, on what is a prominent gateway site.  

The plot is currently occupied by site offices for contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, which is building several other offices at New Bailey.   

Phil Marsden, projects director at The English Cities Fund, said: “To receive approval for this scheme is a strong endorsement of our commitment to building back better, in a bid to deliver real environmental and social outputs to benefit our communities.

“Despite the unprecedented times we find ourselves in, we’re still seeing a demand for high-quality office space, that not only provides an agile environment in which to work from that promotes colleague wellbeing, but also spaces that are climate resilient and adaptable to our changing world.”

Elsewhere at the New Bailey mixed-use scheme:  

One New Bailey – the 125,000 sq ft building is complete and let to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which occupies 72,000 sq ft, as well as media giant Dentsu Aegis Network, recruitment agency Circle Recruitment, lender Shawbrook Bank, recruiter Allegis Group and mergers and acquisitions firm Benchmark.  

Two New Bailey – Bowmer + Kirkland finished construction of the 185,000 sq ft building in December. It was designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, forward funded by Aviva and is let to BLM and Eversheds Sutherland.  

Three New Bailey – the 157,000 sq ft block is let to HMRC and construction of the seven-storey building is nearing completion. Make Architects designed the building.  

Four New Bailey – Also designed by architect Make Architects, approval for the 10-storey, 175,000 sq ft office was granted last October. In the same month, BT signed a 20-year lease on the building, the construction of which is being forward funded by Warrington Council, as revealed by Place North West.   

Maldron Hotel – Chapel Street  

Norr Consultants has been appointed to design the scheme

Developer – Central and Urban, and RJR Securities   

Architect – Norr Consultants  

Planner – Deloitte Real Estate  

Central and Urban – a venture founded last year by Catalyst Capital directors Daniel White, Robert Skelston and Julian Newiss – unveiled proposals for the 16-storey hotel last summer.  

The project is being brought forward in collaboration with RJR Securities, a developer headed up by Newiss and Skelston.  

The four-star scheme, to be operated by Irish hotel firm Dalata Hotel Group under its Maldron brand, comprises 188 bedrooms and will be constructed on a two-acre surface car park in the Greengate area of Salford.  

Located next to Select Property Group’s CitySuites aparthotel block on Chapel Street, the hotel will feature a reception and coffee area on the ground floor and a bar and restaurant on the first floor.  

The upper floors will include a range of hotel rooms and a gym for guests.   

Construction firm McAleer & Rushe, which is also delivering a 278-bedroom Maldron hotel for Catalyst Capital on Charles Street in Manchester, is lined up as the lead contractor for the Chapel Street project.