The first piece of ground has been dug as work starts on the Timekeepers Square development off Chapel Street in Salford.
The townhouse scheme, which is being developed by Salford City Council and English Cities Fund (ECf), is behind St Philip’s Church and across the road from Vimto Gardens.
There will be 36 four-storey townhouses built, ranging from two to four beds, on open green space between St Philips Church and the Grade II-listed Salford Cathedral – land bounded by Great George Street, Bank Street and Cleminson Way.
It’s just to the north of the X1 Chapel Street student flat building which now faces onto Chapel Street.
The 36,403 sq ft development will be across six terraced blocks, all facing outwards towards the street.
The tallest building includes a roof garden at fourth floor level behind a full height brick parapet and will be situated at the corner of Encombe Place and St Philip’s Place.
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart and Matt Crompton, joint managing director at Muse, marked the second phase of building work on the 2.36 million sq ft Salford Central regeneration scheme by breaking the ground.
They were joined by key members of Salford City Council, Urban Vision, English Cities fund, Muse and John Turner Construction Group.
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Named due to its proximity to a number of clock faces, including those at St Philip’s Church, Timekeepers Square will deliver the townhouses to the city centre in a Georgian-style development in keeping with the conservation area off Chapel Street.
Plans for the development were approved in March 2015, with the first homes due to be available for purchase in 2016.
Read: 36 townhouses greenlit directly behind St Philips Church
Matt Crompton said: “Today marks the start of the exciting next phase of this forward-thinking development. Providing affordable, quality housing is paramount to what ECf set out to achieve in Salford and Timekeepers Square is set to be a prime example of that when it completes.”
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart said: “It’s certainly the right time to be in Salford as the city is developing at a phenomenal rate – as the popularity of Timekeepers Square shows. I hope it won’t be long before the first new residents are putting their feet up in their new homes.”
L-R Nigel Sharp, Hollie Reynolds, Phil Mayall, Jim Taylor, Gena Merrett
