3 Spatial Framework
3.1 This chapter translates the Plan Strategy set out in Chapter 2 into a Spatial Framework for the city, which recognises that the opportunities and the need for development, regeneration and environmental protection vary in their scale and nature across the city.
3.2 The Spatial Framework splits the city into the following five sub-areas:
- Central Salford, which will be the focus for major regeneration and investment activity
- Salford West, where the emphasis will be on targeted improvement activity in order to lend additional stability to what is already a largely settled area
- The Regional Centre, which will see significant investment, continuing its development as a nationally important mixed-use area
- The Western Gateway, which will be the major focus for economic development activity during the plan period
- The Urban Fringe and Countryside, where the emphasis will be on the protection and sustainable use of the city’s open land resource
3.3 The Central Salford and Salford West areas are discrete, but together cover the whole of the city, and match the sub-areas set out in the city’s Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy. The Regional Centre, the Western Gateway and the Urban Fringe and Countryside overlap these areas. What needs to be achieved in each of the five sub-areas of the city is set out in Figure 3.1 ‘Spatial Framework’ below.
Figure 3.1 Spatial Framework (Popup full image)
Central Salford
3.4 Large parts of Central Salford suffer from significant problems of deprivation, with low demand and obsolete housing, derelict and underused land and buildings, and poor environmental quality being particular problems. However, Central Salford also has immense potential. It includes a considerable part of the Regional Centre, which forms the main focus for economic and social activity in the Greater Manchester conurbation, and offers a wide range of development opportunities on previously developed land.
3.5 During the plan period, Central Salford will be the major focus for regeneration and investment within the city. The UDP will help to develop Central Salford as one of the most popular and attractive places to live within the inner areas of Greater Manchester, mixing easy access to the facilities and opportunities of the Regional Centre, with high quality housing, an attractive environment, and a myriad of recreation and leisure opportunities. The area will be subject to major housing market renewal, complementing similar activity in New East Manchester, North Manchester and South Manchester, that will help to transform the conurbation’s inner city areas.
Salford West
3.6 Salford West contains some of Greater Manchester’s most popular and successful residential neighbourhoods, as well as large areas of attractive countryside. However, there are significant pockets of deprivation, with key problems being poor housing stock conditions and environmental quality.
3.7 During the plan period, the emphasis will be on continuing to develop Salford West as a series of attractive and thriving neighbourhoods that offer the best of all worlds, with easy access to the regional transport network and the opportunities of the Regional Centre, but in a suburban location on the edge of the countryside. The plan identifies a number of important development and recreation opportunities that will help to consolidate the successes of the area, whilst also supporting measures aimed at addressing and preventing further problems of decay.
Regional Centre
3.8 The Regional Centre is a dynamic and vibrant area of european-wide importance, and forms the main focus for investment, economic development, and leisure and tourism activity within the Greater Manchester conurbation. The Regional Centre incorporates the Central Salford areas of Salford Quays, Chapel Street, the University of Salford, and the Ordsall Lane Riverside Corridor, and is centred on Manchester city centre, which includes that part of Salford within the Inner Relief Road.
3.9 The continued development and, where appropriate, expansion of the Regional Centre is supported by the UDP, maximising its benefits for the rest of the city and the North West region more generally. There is a strong emphasis on securing a broad mix of uses and a very high quality of design in order to maximise the area’s vitality and attractiveness. Several large and very well-located previously developed sites will offer excellent development opportunities that will secure major investment for Central Salford. The economic growth sectors of knowledge-based and media-related industries will be particularly targeted, linking to the continued development of the University of Salford as an internationally important educational facility. The UDP allows for a very significant increase in the residential population of the area, but not at the expense of the area’s mixed-use character.
Western Gateway
3.10 The Western Gateway stretches along the Manchester Ship Canal from the city’s western boundary into the Regional Centre. It incorporates Salford Quays, Eccles and Northbank and it has physical and functional links with adjoining parts of Trafford Metropolitan Borough to the south, including Trafford Park, the Trafford Centre and the Carrington area. It is therefore of more than local importance, and co-operation with Trafford MBC and other key agencies will be necessary in some areas. The area is a major economic driver for the region benefiting from outstanding communications that includes part of the national motorway network, the two Manchester - Liverpool railway lines, Metrolink, Barton Aerodrome and the Manchester Ship Canal.
3.11 The UDP encourages further economic investment within the Western Gateway during the plan period, particularly through the development of the Barton Strategic Regional Site, Dock 9 at Salford Quays, Weaste Quarry near Eccles, and remaining land at Northbank. This new development will need to have regard to the capacity of the existing motorway and road networks, and will require additional investment in transport infrastructure. The UDP makes provision for such improvements through the identification of schemes such as the Broadway Link, and the A57 – Trafford Park link at Barton. There is also provisional support for the further expansion of the Metrolink system through the area, a new canal crossing at Cadishead, and a link between the A57 and M62 at Barton.
Urban Fringe and Countryside
3.12 The Urban Fringe and Countryside accounts for almost a third of Salford’s land area, and is a major environmental asset of ecological, landscape, recreation and agricultural importance. As well as the city’s Green Belt, it also incorporates other important areas of open land such as the Worsley Greenway and the country parks.
3.13 The UDP seeks to protect the Urban Fringe and Countryside from inappropriate development, whilst maximising its environmental, economic and social benefits for the city, and supporting the Red Rose Community Forest initiative. There is a strong emphasis on developing the area’s recreation potential, linking this to the regeneration of surrounding residential areas, to ensure that the city’s residents have good access to a wide range of recreation opportunities. In particular, the development of a Regional Park is supported, and eight key recreation areas are identified, which will be linked by a network of strategic recreation routes. The health of the rural economy is supported through the enabling of sensitive diversification of farm enterprises. However, the UDP will also ensure that the essential character and environmental quality of the Urban Fringe and Countryside is protected, particularly in terms of its openness, landscape, and wildlife value.
Implementation
3.14 The policies and proposals of the UDP are designed to secure the implementation of the vision and priorities set out in the Spatial Framework. Development plan documents and supplementary planning documents will be produced in order to guide development in more detail with respect to certain topics or areas. The former may take the form of 'Area Action Plans' for localities where substantial change is anticipated. These will be set out periodically in the council’s 'Local Development Scheme', having regard to priorities and resources.