Salford City Council planners have given permission for a Manchester property firm to turn a Salford Quays office block into 60 flats.
Developers Factory Estates Ltd, who share offices with their architects IDP at Hilton Street in Manchester, had plans turned down in May 2015 to transform Custom House on Furness Quay into a residential block due to inadequate protection over flood risk.
Custom House, which sits alongside the Metrolink track between Salford Quays and Anchorage, is made up of two linked buildings covering 43,363 sq ft across six storeys.
Accommodation of eight one-bed and 24 two-bed duplex flats, as well as 12 one-bed and 16 two-bed one-floor flats, is planned over six storeys in the two vacant office buildings.
Read: ‘Flood risk’ scuppers 60-flat plan for Salford Quays offices
The building was considered to lie in a “low spot” on Salford Quays with the land adjacent to the Manchester Ship Canal being higher than the site.
The plans for 20 one-bedroom and 40 two-bedroom flats were rejected because of insufficient evidence that it would be protected in case of a 1 in 100 year flood.
But a resubmitted change of use application was passed by council planners today, Wednesday 24 June.
After the refusal “the applicant reviewed the land levels surrounding the site to accurately depict the flood risk in the development”, say officers, and the plans went through.
91 car parking spaces will be provided for the new development.
IDP acted on behalf on Factory Estates Ltd.
