Affordable apartment plans submitted for Peru Street, Salford

Plans have been submitted to Salford City Council by The English Cities Fund (ECF), for a new development of 100 affordable and sustainable Passivhaus apartments, at Peru Street in the heart of Salford. The development forms part of the £2.5bn, 252-acre Crescent Salford regeneration, which is being delivered by ECF, in partnership with the council and the University of Salford.

ECF is our national JV with Legal & General, one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and major global investor, and the government’s housing and regeneration agency, Homes England. The partnership was set up in 2001, to bring together the best of the public and private sector, to transform urban areas and create exceptional new places.

Passivhaus buildings are designed in their nature to provide a comfortable environment for residents, but importantly can reduce energy bills by up to 90%. This is achieved through a whole-building, independently verified and tested approach to efficiency and high-quality construction.

Peru Street will be the second collection of Passivhaus-certified affordable homes that we’re bringing forward through our ECF partnership, following the success of Greenhaus, which is creating 96 homes for local housing association, Salix, and is part of the wider £1bn, 50-acre Salford Central regeneration. Both developments have been designed by renowned architects, Buttress.

The plans for Peru Street are designed to create a cohesive, sustainable, and thriving community, which…

1. minimises operational energy to address fuel consumption issues

2. promotes sustainable transport with good transport connections within walking distance and storage for 100 bikes

3. includes open-plan living areas to provide sufficient space for residents to work from home

4. incorporates Juliette balconies to create a connection between the internal and outside areas

5. includes four fully-accessible, ground-floor apartments with nearby parking.

Joe Stockton, development manager, said:

Commenting on the plans Alison Haigh, associate at Buttress said: “The scheme will reinforce the Passivhaus principles that are currently being trailblazed, at the nearby Greenhaus development which is due to complete in March 2024. Both schemes are being brought forward by ECF and will create much-needed affordable homes.  Meticulous detailing combined with exceptional build quality will ensure the scheme provides excellent levels of thermal comfort, improves health and wellbeing and addresses fuel poverty.”

City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “This application is another step forward in the partnership’s bold vision for transforming Salford Crescent and creating a new district to work, live and play. The inclusion of affordable housing which also considers energy costs is crucial to tackling the national housing shortage, the cost of living crisis and climate change and this scheme supports our ambition to create more affordable homes in Salford to help local people. I will follow the progress of this application with interest.”

Vice-Chancellor at the University of Salford, Professor Helen Marshall, commented: “The Peru Street development is another great example of innovative regeneration work as part of the wider Crescent Masterplan to benefit Salford, the wider region and beyond. The plans for Peru Street will develop our local environment and provide vital affordable housing for our growing communities.”

Should Peru Street receive planning consent, it is anticipated to start on site early in 2024.