ECF’s Greenhaus starts on site
Eric Wright Construction has begun a two-year project to build the 96-apartment development, part of the £1bn Salford Central masterplan.
The nine-storey scheme is being developed by English Cities Fund and will be operated by registered provider Salix Homes. 100% of the one- and two-bedroom apartments are earmarked as affordable.
A total of 74 apartments will be available through rent-to-buy, 13 for affordable rent and the remaining 11 for social rent.
Greenhaus is part of ECF’s 50-acre Salford Central regeneration and will take the overall percentage of affordable homes delivered across the masterplan so far to 25%, the developer said.
Greenhaus is to be built to Passivhaus standards, which aims to reduce properties’ energy consumption by around 90% compared to traditional housing stock.
Maggie Grogan, development director at The English Cities Fund, said: “As a business, we’re committed to delivering place-changing regeneration that not only brings diverse communities together, but also helps to tackle the climate crisis too and Greenhaus will do just that.”
In January, Salix struck a deal with Natwest that will see the bank forward fund the Buttress-designed development. Grants from Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also go towards the construction of Greenhaus.
Sue Sutton, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “Chapel Street enjoys an incredibly rich history and the innovative Greenhaus development marks the next exciting chapter for this historic part of Salford.
“At a time when affordable housing is in such short supply, we’re very proud to work alongside our partners to deliver these high quality, sustainable, eco-homes of the future, and we look forward to seeing this ambitious development start to take shape on the Salford skyline.”
The Greenhaus plot was recently freed up by the closure of convenience store Shalimar.
Shalimar had resisted closure and demolition for several years while neighbouring developments including the 173-unit Atelier, and the 97-home Vimto Gardens sprung up on Chapel Street.
However, the store closed in May and has been demolished.
All credit to ECF and Salix Homes for bringing forward this passive house scheme. With rising fuel costs and the challenge of responding to climate change, this is the type of development that should be promoted throughout the UK. Good for the environment and good for the consumer. Well done
By Jackie
Great scheme. Continues the regeneration of Chapel Street and provides some much needed greenery and public realm. And it’s affordable and low carbon! What more could we ask for.
By Sid
Great to see affordable homes but that is one drab looking building.
By 1981
What more could we ask for? I could think of a couple of things.
Sustainability is about more than just environmental sustainability. Housing needs to be spacious, adaptable, be multi-aspect to maximise light and offer basic amenities that people need to maximise well-being. So why no balconies? Where do people go for a breath of fresh air or tend a small garden?
Other than that, Salix deserve credit for aiming for the passive house standard, evidence of an ambitious and thoughtful developer. All the more impressive given that their main activity is as a social housing manager rather than developer. Great to see.
By Balcony watch
Is that the whiff of an actual tree in the central reservation area??!! Salford allowed all the others to die. then they promised to replace them, when they had to redo the roads after they failed. Haven’t materialised yet 🙁
By Local Resident