regenerating soapworks

From a gated community to a new, vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood

SOAPWORKS REGENERATION

Thank you for taking the time to visit our consultation website and find out more about our exciting proposals for the regeneration of the Soapworks site.

Development Managers, Bankfoot APAM, working with Catella APAM on behalf of site owners, Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) are proposing to bring forward a new mixed-use neighbourhood in delivering around 550 high-quality, new homes, state of the art workspace, a new multi-storey car park (MSCP) and significant public realm improvements at the Soapworks site in Salford. If approved, the development will regenerate a brownfield site and deliver £200m investment to the local area.

We consulted on our proposals for Soapworks in September 2023 and we would like to thank everyone who provided feedback. The comments helped inform the final design that was submitted in October 2024.  You can view the planning application of Salford City Council’s planning portal by using the reference number: PA/2023/0435.

THE LOCATION

Salford is well known for its increasingly high economic potential and is growing at an astonishing pace. Over the last decade, brownfield sites such as Soapworks are being increasingly recognised for how they can contribute to the wider regeneration of Salford.

Situated just minutes from Salford Quays, Soapworks has long been an iconic fixture of the area’s skyline. A simple change in perspective, however, can help us to recognise the opportunities hidden in plain sight, and allow us to collaborate to create a truly vibrant and attractive new community. 

Soapworks is a well-established office location, which is currently fully occupied, at the site of the former Colgate Palmolive Factory, located to the east of Exchange Quay on the banks of the River Irwell. In a premium location, close to Salford Quays with excellent connections to Salford Central and Manchester city centre, the site is perfectly placed to be transformed into an open and accessible, sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood. By opening up this brownfield space for public use, we believe we can lay the foundations for a truly welcoming and sociable community, where people can live and work alongside one another in an environment tailored to meet the evolving local need.

In a truly accessible location, in close to proximity to shops & services, employment spaces and transport links, the regeneration of Soapworks will create a truly accessible community suiting the needs of those looking to live and work in the area as well as encouraging future investment.

OUR MASTERPLAN

Our vision for Soapworks is to establish a truly open and accessible mixed-use neighbourhood, reclaiming space for public use and creating an attractive place to both live and work. The plans for regeneration will build on the success of other developments in the local area, and create a welcoming, vibrant space on the banks of the River Irwell for local residents to enjoy.

The application has been submitted for hybrid planning permission, a method often used on major developments to help start works sooner on one part (or phase) of the site before the full details of the other part(s) have been finalised.

For Soapworks this means applying for: 

Full planning permission for:

  • the demolition of the existing gatehouse
  • the conversion and redevelopment of Block D into 78 residential units with commercial, business and service floorspace
  • the creation of a Transport Hub comprising a multi-storey car park with commercial, business and service floorspace
  • Associated public realm and landscaping, infrastructure and highways improvement works.

 

Outline planning permission for:

  • a mixed-use development of up to 500 residential units and associated car parking
  • up to 500sqm of commercial, business and service floorspace
  • the creation of a pavilion building
  • Public realm and landscaping; highways improvement works; and other associated infrastructure.
Park View
Street View

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

To find out more about our plans for Soapworks, please click into the virtual exhibition and explore our boards. Please note that the details for the scheme was the consultation presentation, which has changed since the planning application being submitted.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please see below for all of the Frequently Asked Questions. If you still can’t find your answer, please contact the project team via emailing or calling us at:

  • 0161 711 0293
  • soapworksregeneration@havingyoursay.co.uk

THE PROPOSALS:

Bankfoot APAM, working with Catella APAM on behalf of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).

Bankfoot APAM is a specialist Development Management business committed to delivering successful and sustainable places to work, visit, live and enjoy. They have a successful track record, advising on over 65 development and regeneration projects, including award-winning projects such as Hobhouse, a mixed-use scheme adjacent to Trafalgar Square, The Print Hall & Unity Street in Bristol, along with a number of other town centre generation projects across the UK.

Bankfoot APAM, along with Catella APAM is acting on behalf of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to deliver the Soapworks scheme. Ashton Hale is the planning consultant advising on the scheme.

About Catella

Catella APAM is a multiservice provider with extensive experience in onboarding and integrating with large and complex organisations to deliver exceptional performance on real estate portfolios. Over the last 13 years Catella APAM has demonstrated its capabilities in asset management, property management, development management, accounts, implementing reporting, refining processes, and managing change.

Having delivered successful outcomes across the full spectrum of real estate sectors, APAM is able to deliver tailored asset, property and development management solutions grounded in experience and data driven insights. We act for major institutional funds, local authorities and banks and one of the largest global REIT’s.

The existing site extends to 8.5 acres.

We envision the site will deliver around 450 new homes in the form of apartments, spread over three blocks. The residential dwellings will be targeted at a range of residents, including first time buyers and families, whilst the office space will span approximately 12,000 square metres to accommodate businesses of all sizes.

Although the final configuration of the buildings is yet to be confirmed, it is envisioned that the residential buildings will  front the River Irwell, and overlook the public open spaces which sit around the existing Boiler House building.

Salford, as well as the wider nation, is facing a housing crisis and a chronic shortage of new homes. The average age of a first-time buyer now 34 years old; an increase of five years since 1990. The need for hefty deposits, a shortage of affordable housing and a reduction in lending has forced a growing number of young people to return to live at home with their parents – the creation of a ‘boomerang generation’ – or continue to rent. Put simply, not enough homes are being built and supply is far lower than the Government’s target of 300,000 houses every year and Greater Manchester’s target of 36,000 new homes over the next ten years.

DESIGN AND APPEARANCE

We are working with local experts and stakeholders to deliver a development which enhances the heritage of the site during its regeneration, incorporating key aspects of the site’s history.

We understand that the industries which built Salford are still part of the City’s culture and through the Soapworks redevelopment we will look to incorporate features which preserve the heritage of the site whilst creating a new community and complement the existing office space on site. The iconic ‘Boiler House’ will be preserved, while the design of the new buildings will reflect that of the wider area.

The site is a brownfield site located at the former Colgate Palmolive Factory near Exchange Quay, Salford. The Soapworks site will form an important marker for those arriving into Salford and Manchester from the west and offer a unique new addition to the rising skyline of the city.

Our development will offer a mixed-use commercial and residential hub which fosters an inclusive environment but with the two environments distinguished via strategic landscaping and public open space. Our green spaces will boast a ‘disconnected island’ feel which allows residents to relax and socialise in an environment free from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding cities, but close enough to provide convenience.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

We are working with Salford City Council to deliver approximately 4 acres of public, green open space. In line with our ambitions to create a collaborative, harmonious mixed-use development, we want to encourage future users of the site to relax and engage with one another. Our green spaces will be laced with flora and fauna, trees and hedgerow to provide a relaxing feel and improve the mental wellbeing of residents within Salford, as well as enhancing and preserving existing habitats and ecosystems.

A key part of the design will be to ensure a sustainable development is delivered with a key focus on reducing carbon footprint. The existing office structure for Block D will be retained and we will seek to decarbonise through renewable technology and natural ventilation. The public realm element of the scheme will incorporate urban re-greening and public spaces. The new build elements of the proposals will be designed to deliver super-efficient thermal envelopes with highly efficient M&E systems and the use of smart building technologies.

ABOUT US

Introducing the Project Team:

Bankfoot APAM is a specialist Development Management business committed to delivering successful and sustainable places to work, visit, live and enjoy. They have a successful track record, advising on over 65 development and regeneration projects, including award-winning projects such as Hobhouse, a mixed-use scheme adjacent to Trafalgar Square, The Print Hall & Unity Street in Bristol, along with a number of other town centre regeneration projects across the UK. Bankfoot APAM, along with Catella APAM is acting on behalf of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to deliver the Soapworks scheme. Ashton Hale is the planning consultant advising on the scheme.

About GMPF

Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) is a local government pension scheme for the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. GMPF operates a long term ownership model and has a long standing commitment to provide investment in regeneration within the local area.

About Catella APAM

Catella APAM is a multiservice provider with extensive experience in onboarding and integrating with large and complex organisations to deliver exceptional performance on real estate portfolios. Over the last 13 years Catella APAM has demonstrated its capabilities in asset management, property management, development management, accounts, implementing reporting, refining processes, and managing change.

Having delivered successful outcomes across the full spectrum of real estate sectors, APAM is able to deliver tailored asset, property and development management solutions grounded in experience and data driven insights. We act for major institutional funds, local authorities and banks and one of the largest global REIT’s.

CONTACT

You can get in touch with the project team by:

  • Emailing us at: soapworksregeneration@havingyoursay.co.uk
  • Calling us on 0161 711 0293 (lines open Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm)
  • Writing to us at: Soapworks Regeneration, Lexington, Queens House, Queen Street, Manchester, M2 5HT