Salford City Council has set out a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on vacant land in Langworthy so developers can build up to 100 new affordable homes.
The two areas, 1.98 hectares in size, sit between Langton Street and Fram Street, and Norway Street and Langworthy Road, just south of Willow Tree Primary School.
The sites were last used for terraced housing, garden areas and shops fronting Liverpool Street.
Both sections of land were demolished and cleared in the late 2000s – with some parcels of land owned by private investors and others by people living overseas.
The council owns around 96% of the land, but says it had to force through the CPO because it was unable to contact around 3.5% of landowners, and was unable to agree deals with around 0.5%.
Salford City Council has already been approached by a number of developers interested in building new homes on the land, according to the authority’s own reports.
It’s thought the legal process may take around six months to complete.
After then, the council will be looking for a housing developer to provide affordable homes for sale, says local councillor John Warmisham.
Cllr Warmisham, who represents Langworthy, said: “It’s about tidying up that area.
“In the old SRD 5 days the houses were demolished for new housing.”
Cllr Warmisham said the council would prioritise developers who could show they would build affordable homes for sale to the general public, not just buy-to-let developers.
The only new housing developments in the area recently have been for the private rented sector.
There’s building ongoing for 26 homes to rent at the now-demolished Tootal Drive School, 60 rented homes on the former Seedley Primary School (both by Countryside Properties), and plans in the works for new social rented housing on the former Weaste Cricket Ground, the demolished Willows rugby ground, and more housing on the former All Souls RC and All Hallows school sites.
“We’re looking for mixed tenure,” said Cllr Warmisham.
“There’s an over-abundance of rented properties owned by private landlords in the area and what we really want is affordable homes for sale.”
But with primary school places at a premium, even more room will have to be found for an influx of new families to Salford.
Read: Willow Tree Primary School set for new nursery building in bid to expand pupil places
Councillor Paul Dennett added: “The CPO will enable us to assemble the land and hopefully complete long-standing development and regeneration aspirations (affordable homes) after the government scrapped Housing Market Renewal when it came to power back in 2010.”
