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Salford Central

The Salford Central Masterplan is a 20 year regeneration initiative that has transformed 50 acres along the River Irwell into a vibrant destination where people live, work and connect.

Map showing the boundary of the Islington neighbourhood area outlined in red. The map includes labelled locations such as Chapel Street at the top, Islington Neighbourhood in the centre, New Bailey Estate to the east, and Middlewood Locks to the south-west. Roads, buildings, railway lines and waterways are shown in light grey, with the highlighted boundary enclosing the neighbourhood and extending from Chapel Street in the north to Middlewood Locks in the south and New Bailey Estate in the east. The map has a neutral grey background with the boundary marked by a prominent red line.

Salford Central has been delivered by Salford City Council in collaboration with English Cities Fund (ECF), a joint venture company consisting of Muse Developments, Legal and General and the Homes and Communities Agency.

A high-angle view of a modern urban waterside development. A canal or river runs through the centre of the image, reflecting the surrounding buildings and bright daylight. A distinctive curved pedestrian bridge crosses the water in the middle distance. Tall residential towers frame both sides of the scene, with a dark high-rise building prominent on the right. Construction cranes, partially completed buildings and development sites are visible on the left, indicating ongoing regeneration. Green landscaped areas line parts of the waterway. On the side of a building in the lower right, a large mural depicts colourful books on shelves. The scene is brightly lit with clear skies and extensive city views stretching into the background.

Thanks to an ambitious shared vision and a long standing partnership, Salford Central now offers world class workspaces for businesses, more than 1,000 new homes, and sits right at the forefront of Salford's success.

The Salford Central Masterplan is made up of Chapel Street, New Bailey and Middlewood Locks.

The scheme has the capacity to deliver:

  • £650 million investment

  • 11,000 new jobs

  • 197,000 sqm of commercial space

  • 24,000 sqm of retail and leisure space

  • 849 new homes

  • 390 hotel rooms

  • new car parking

  • improved pedestrian and cyclist routes

  • new public open spaces

The Masterplan is supported by planning guidance and a development framework (adopted by the City Council in 2008/09); Salford City Council’s largest ever planning application (a 15 year outline permission across a 17.7 hectare area was granted in 2010) and a Compulsory Purchase Order (confirmed by the Secretary of State in March 2012).

New Bailey and Chapel Street

Aerial view of a densely developed urban area with a mix of modern residential, commercial and construction sites. Multiple high-rise apartment buildings and office blocks dominate the foreground, while railway lines curve through the centre of the image from foreground to background. Several construction cranes and partially completed developments are visible around the rail corridor, indicating ongoing regeneration. To the left are recently built apartment complexes and development plots, while to the right are established streets, smaller buildings and a church with a prominent stone tower. A large green park occupies the upper-right corner of the image, providing contrast to the surrounding dense cityscape. The scene is photographed in daylight, showing extensive redevelopment alongside existing neighbourhoods and transport infrastructure.

New Bailey and Chapel Street have undergone significant regeneration as part of the wider Salford Central masterplan, emerging as new destinations with modern residential developments, high quality public realm and a rapidly growing community. The New Bailey Estate is also an exciting extension to Manchester’s Central Business District, situated in between the River Irwell and Salford Central Station.

Islington Neighbourhood

The Islington Linear Park project was developed following a series of community workshops in 2022 that explored the future of the Regent Trading Estate and its surrounding area. A key theme emerging from these sessions was the ambition to make Islington Mill more accessible to surrounding communities for arts projects, events, and cultural activity. Subsequent engagement with local residents, businesses and stakeholders helped shape a range of projects and initiatives that would improve connections, enhance public spaces, and celebrate the area's unique identity.

These included:

  • Arts and cultural projects

  • Community events

  • Greening and growing initiatives

  • Placemaking and wayfinding

  • Health, heritage, and cultural walking routes

  • Bringing vacant railway arches back into use

  • Improved walking, wheeling, and cycling connections

Alongside this work, the Islington Active Neighbourhood programme will transform the area by creating safer and more attractive routes for residents, businesses, and visitors, while reducing through traffic between Chapel Street and Oldfield Road.

A high-level concept plan was developed to bring these ideas together, setting out a vision for a safe, inclusive, active, and vibrant neighbourhood that builds on local identity and community priorities. The Islington Linear Park project continues to support delivery of this vision through a series of physical improvements, community-led initiatives and partnership projects that are helping to create positive change across the neighbourhood.

Illustrated masterplan showing proposed public realm, landscape and transport improvements across the Islington area. Existing buildings are shown in light grey and white, with new and enhanced green spaces highlighted in green. A red line marks the scheme boundary, while pedestrian and cycle routes are shown in pink. Numbered markers identify eight proposed interventions distributed across the site, including road crossings, streetscape improvements, tree planting, pedestrianisation measures and park extensions. The plan features tree-lined routes, landscaped plazas, new public spaces and improved connections between neighbourhoods. A key at the bottom labels the interventions: Oldfield Road Crossing Islington Way/Stephenson Street Improvements East Ordsall Lane Bridge Improvements East Ordsall Lane Pedestrianisation Islington Way North & Barrow Street tree planting North Start Drive Streetscape Improvements De-engineering Claremont Way Junction and extending the park Extending the park to the Ainscow frontage The image presents a vision for creating a greener, more walkable urban environment with improved public spaces and connections.

Progress to date

Islington Active Neighbourhood (Ongoing)

  • The flagship highways improvement scheme is currently under construction and is designed to make walking, wheeling, and cycling safer, easier, and more attractive. The project will create quieter streets, improved connections and enhanced public spaces throughout the neighbourhood. Works are currently underway and are expected to be completed before Christmas 2026.

East Ordsall Lane Bridge Underpass Refurbishment and Community Mural (Completed)

  • Earlier this year, the underpass beneath the railway bridge on East Ordsall Lane was transformed through a comprehensive clean-up, the installation of new architectural lighting and the creation of a striking community-designed mural. Delivered as part of the wider Active Neighbourhood programme, the project has created a brighter, more welcoming, and attractive environment for residents and visitors.

Islington Play Park (Completed)

  • The new play area opened earlier this year, providing a colourful and accessible destination for local families. At its centre is a bespoke eight-tower climbing structure featuring tunnel and trough slides, rope bridges, climbing challenges, balancing features and inclusive swings, encouraging adventure, creativity, and active play for children of all ages.

Railway Arches Regeneration

  • Work is continuing with partners to explore opportunities to bring vacant railway arches along East Ordsall Lane back into active use. The aspiration is to support a mix of commercial, leisure and community-focused activities that contribute to a more vibrant and welcoming neighbourhood. Bringing these underused spaces back into use has the potential to increase activity in the area, attract investment and support the ongoing regeneration and growth of the wider neighbourhood.

The Makers District

  • The Makers District continues to develop as a key creative cluster within Salford. Partners are working together to strengthen the area's identity, visibility and offer through the next phase of the Makers District identity and wayfinding project.

  • Building on recently completed brand guidelines, a new visual identity has been developed that reflects the district's maker-led character. The identity draws inspiration from traditional production methods and has been shaped through engagement with local creatives and businesses.

  • Alongside the digital brand, a range of physical toolkits including stencils, stickers and creative prompts are now being produced to support implementation across the district. Planning is also underway for the next phase of creative wayfinding, which will involve local creatives in designing and delivering interventions that improve navigation and strengthen the area's sense of place. Discussions with partners will help identify locations and activation opportunities, creating a more cohesive and recognisable presence for the Makers District.

Looking Ahead

  • While all currently secured funding has now been allocated, partners continue to explore future funding opportunities and partnerships that could help bring further projects and ideas forward.

  • The success of the programme has been built on the ideas, energy and local knowledge of community members and partners. As the area continues to evolve, it is hoped that these relationships will continue to generate new opportunities, collaborations and initiatives that benefit the wider community and build upon the significant progress already made.

The giant new mural bringing Salford's history to life under a city bridge.

Middlewood Locks

Middlewood Locks is one of Salford's most significant regeneration projects. The £1 billion development is transforming a formerly underused 25-acre brownfield site into a thriving waterside neighbourhood, creating an important link between Salford and Manchester city centre.

Previously occupied by mills, warehouses and rail infrastructure surrounding three canal basins, the area remained largely vacant for many years. Today, it is being brought back to life through a multi-phase development programme delivering new homes, commercial space, and high-quality public realm.

A growing neighbourhood

When complete, Middlewood Locks will deliver:

  • Over 2,000 new homes

  • Approximately 900,000 sq. ft of commercial space, including offices, a hotel, shops, restaurants, leisure uses and supporting infrastructure

  • 4.5 acres of public open space, creating attractive places for residents and visitors to enjoy

The neighbourhood is already home to more than 2,600 residents living across 1,306 homes and benefits from a range of amenities, including retail and leisure uses, extensive public realm, and attractive walking and cycling connections between Salford and Manchester.

Over the past decade, Middlewood Locks has become recognised nationally and regionally for its placemaking approach, social impact, and role in reconnecting communities through high-quality development and improved accessibility.

Latest phase – The Railings

The most recently completed phase, The Railings, delivers:

  • 189 new homes

  • Seven waterside townhouses

  • Six mews houses suitable for families

  • A mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments

  • Private outdoor space for most properties

  • A generous communal podium garden for residents

This phase comprises contemporary townhouses and apartment buildings arranged around a landscaped private garden, further enhancing the residential offer within the neighbourhood.

What’s next

The next major phase of development has recently secured funding support from the National Housing Bank, enabling work to progress on future phases of the masterplan. This investment will support site preparation, infrastructure, and design work, helping to accelerate delivery across the remaining development plots.

Future proposals include up to 909 additional new homes alongside commercial and amenity space, helping to further strengthen the connection between Salford and Manchester city centre. These future phases will continue the transformation of Middlewood Locks into a sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood that supports housing growth, investment, and long-term regeneration.

As Middlewood Locks enters its second decade of development, it continues to demonstrate how the regeneration of former industrial land can create vibrant communities, unlock investment, and deliver lasting social and economic benefits for Salford.

Find out more information about Middlewood Locks.

National Housing Bank loans £14m for Middlewood Locks - Place North West

Middlewood Locks 1m sq ft office phase to progress - Place North West.

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This page was last updated on 5 October 2026

City Centre Salford

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