Plans for the UK’s third tallest skyscraper are set to be decided on by councillors later this week.
If approved, the proposed 895ft tower would be the tallest building in Greater Manchester and come in third across the country after the Shard and Horizon 22.
The tower is part of a £1 billion project which would see ten buildings being built in Salford’s Regent Retail Park.
Up to 3,300 homes are set to be built across the buildings, with the tallest planned to be some 78 storeys high.
Salford councillors are due to meet on Thursday to discuss the plans, and despite hundreds of objections, officials have recommended its approval.
Over 450 complaints have been submitted to Salford City Council about the development.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey is among the high-profile objectors who have campaigned against the plans.
Writing in a letter last year, she said the development “does not adequately address the need for affordable and social housing in Salford” and also said it would add pressure onto parking issues in the area.
She also said the tower would not be in keeping with the local area’s character and said it “won't help with the loss of shops, existing employment and parking, and will drastically impact Salford's skyline".
Alongside the new homes, the plans include commercial and community spaces with a public park and 600 parking spaces also planned.
The developers, Henley Investment Management, wrote a letter responding to the objections, insisting that a significant proportion of the scheme would be made up of affordable housing.
In their report, planning officers recommended the site’s approval and wrote: “Over the course of the analysis section of this report, it will become apparent that, on balance, the development accords with the Development Plan.
The proposal would result in efficient use of an underused Site within the urban area and has the potential to amount to sustainable and inclusive development, which can be secured at reserved matters stage.
“The development would make a substantial contribution to the delivery of Salford’s identified housing requirement, and deliver an enhanced local centre, and environmental enhancement of the Site, which would benefit the wider community (discussed further below).”
