Ninety affordable homes are to be built on green land in Salford with developers agreeing to invest in a cricket club, carpark and rebuild fire-damaged changing rooms. Councillors on a regeneration briefing yesterday (Monday August 22) nodded through the deal to sell Hill Top Moss in Walkden without comment following approval of a planning application from builder Redwater and housing association Great Places.
Further discussions took place behind closed doors after the Local Democracy Reporting Services was excluded from the meeting. All of the houses will be affordable with 20 available for "social rent", 31 available for "affordable rent" and 39 for shared ownership.
The development partners have also agreed to finance improvements to Walkden Cricket Club and the "reprofiling" of the council-owned Harriet Street playing fields. It is understood that Lancashire Cricket Club will use the cricket ground for junior matches and provide additional coaching for local youngsters.
In 2018, the land at Hill Top Moss was valued at £20,500 but the council has not disclosed how much it has been sold for. The land deal signals the end of a long campaign by nearby residents to prevent the green area on the edge of Blackleach Country Park being developed.
Redwater had been in discussions with the cricket club since 2012 and in 2014 hundreds of people signed a petition against the plan. Discussions over illegal tipping and which areas belonged to other developers slowed down the process.
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