Tallest skyscraper outside London approved in £1bn project
A £1bn project which will see the tallest UK skyscraper outside of London constructed in Greater Manchester has been approved.
Developer Henley Investment Management has secured permission from Salford City Council for its scheme at Regent Retail Park in Ordsall Lane.
The proposals include a 78-storey tower which, at 895ft (272m) tall, will be the third-largest skyscraper in the UK, taking the spot from One Canada Square in London’s Canary Wharf.
The project will also include 3,300 homes created across 10 new buildings.
The plans were debated by Salford councillors earlier this year but a decision was deferred so the developer could provide additional information amid local concerns.
The updated proposals now include a commitment to reserving 660 homes for ‘social rent or another form approved by the city council’.
Skyscraper to be tallest of its kind in the UK
The 78-storey tower will the third tallest in the country, behind the Shard and 22 Bishopgate in London.
The title of the tallest residential skyscraper in the country is currently held by The Landmark Pinnacle in Tower Hamlets, which stands at 233 metres.
A Salford City Council document published ahead of the meeting said: “The additional information presented in this report addresses the reasons for deferral and is intended to give panel members the assurance needed to reach a decision.
“The lease agreement would provide the mechanism to secure the affordable housing offer, and the traffic modelling shows only a marginal change in performance during the morning peak when comparing the development scenario to the base model with the bus gate in place.
“Consequently, the proposed development would not result in a severe impact on the highway network, in line with Paragraph 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework.”
Third time’s a charm for Greater Manchester
Permission for the 78-storey tower is the third time in the last 18 months that a skyscraper planned to become the tallest in the UK outside of London has been approved for Greater Manchester.
In August 2024, the green light was given to a 71-storey tower in Manchester city centre’s Great Jackson Street.
While in April this year, plans for a 76-storey skyscraper in Manchester city centre were also given permission.
The development, which is backed by a company co-founded by backed by Hollywood legend Robert De Nero, is to be built by Salboy, which itself was co-founded by Betfred billionaire Fred Done.
Robert De Niro’s firm Nobu Hospitality signed up in March to open a hotel, restaurant and residences in the skyscraper.