Giant apartment blocks planned for riverside Salford site

Crescent Investments and Forshaw Group scheme would include 814 homes

Three huge apartment blocks could soon be built next to the River Irwell in Salford. The scheme, tabled by Crescent Investments LLC Limited and Forshaw Group, would deliver 814 new homes to the area.

The site is called Riverside Place and was once home to McDonald’s, KFC, and a Grosvenor Casino. Permission for demolition of the retail park, off Regent Road and Ordsall Lane, was approved in 2023 and the land has long been earmarked for redevelopment.

The proposal would see one, two and three bedroom flats built across the three tower blocks that will be between 21 and 36 storeys in height.

The scheme also includes a two-storey community pavilion designed to accommodate a mix of commercial, retail, hospitality and community uses. All this will be built on 6,000sqm of newly created ‘high-quality’ public space.

The area would also see improved links between Salford Quays and Manchester city centre; better pedestrian and cycle routes; and a landscaped ramp and seating connecting directly to the waterfront.

The scheme is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and £1.7m in council tax revenue to invest locally, according to developers.

The vision for the project read: “The plans for Riverside Place support Salford Council’s ambitions for high density, residential-led growth in the ‘Ordsall Waterfront area’ as set out in the Salford Local Plan (2023). The new development would contribute directly to the city’s goal of building 9,000 homes across Ordsall, Quays, Pendleton and Charlestown by 2042.

“The site also plays an important role in bringing to life Salford City Council’s Irwell River Park Connectivity and Movement Strategy (2025), by delivering part of an active travel route for both pedestrians and cyclists along the riverside – enhancing the corridor between Salford Quays and Manchester City Centre.”

If the plans are approved by Salford council, the phased construction is expected to take three to four years to be completed.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.