Homes for Trafford – Public Consultation

A HOME FOR EVERYONE

PUBLIC CONSULTATION | NEW HOMES ON LAND OFF BOLD STREET

WELCOME

Homes for Trafford – A Home For Everyone

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Trafford Council and Trafford Housing Trust, part of L&Q – one of the UK’s leading housing associations developers – are working together as Homes For Trafford to bring forward an exciting new community on Land off Bold Street, Old Trafford.

The site, located on the former ‘Bird blocks’ apartments, has been unused for over ten years and is primed for redevelopment. Our vision for Homes for Trafford is a landscape-led scheme that responds to real local need for high-quality and affordable homes. An initial stage of consultation was undertaken in March 2021 and, utilising this valuable feedback, developed our designs and are now excited to share our improved plans with you.

Homes for Trafford want to create an attractive, vibrant neighbourhood on land off Bold Street that provides for everyone, no matter what stage in life you are, which promotes energy efficiency and sustainability. Our plans will deliver 161 new, energy-efficient homes in a range of styles and sizes, including 30% affordable homes under social rent and shared ownership, a café or commercial space for local businesses or community groups, a central village green, and safe outdoor play areas for children. Working together, our aim is for Homes for Trafford to deliver a home for everyone.

Your valuable feedback in the initial stage of consultation undertaken in March 2021 has already helped shape the designs, and we are now excited to show you the improved proposals. Ahead of submitting a planning application, we are inviting the community to take part in our second public consultation to see how the scheme has evolved, and what further feedback you may have. What do you think of the improved designs? What do you like about the plans? How can the plans be improved? What issues do you think need to be considered? How would you like the open spaces to be used? What type of homes are needed? What sustainable features would you like to see incorporated into the new homes?

Please take the time to look around the website to learn more about the plans and ensure your feedback help shapes the plans before an application is submitted to the Council. This website has been launched to allow the local community to view the plans in more detail, as well as submit their ideas via the online feedback form.

Your views are very important to us as we want to ensure that our proposals are delivered in the right way so they can deliver the right benefits for Trafford. All feedback received by Monday 1st August will be reviewed in detail and will help inform our finalised plans.

HOUSING NEED

UK Housing Need

The UK is facing a housing crisis, with a chronic shortage of new homes. Quite simply, not enough homes are being built and supply is much lower than the Government’s ambition for 300,000 houses every year. Recent research also suggests that the average first time-buyer is now 34 years old – an increase of two years during the pandemic. In comparison, the average age of a first-time buyer in 2002 was 31, whilst in 1990 it was approximately 29. 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.

Furthermore, if new homes aren’t built, this can negatively impact the local area. It can deter working people with new skills from moving into new areas, causing the age and the ability of the local workforce to stagnate, as well as forcing existing companies to relocate. New homes can also deliver knock-on economic benefits for local businesses by new residents spending in local shops and using local services in the areas where new homes are built.

The Homes for Trafford proposals speak to the Council’s determination to tackle the endemic need for affordable housing in Greater Manchester and the North West, by regenerating a brownfield site and providing social housing across the Borough.

Trafford's Housing Need

Greater Manchester, including Trafford, suffers from a chronic shortage of housing. Countless families are unable to find a place to call their home. According to the 2021 draft Places For Everyone document, Trafford Council needs to build 17,954 new homes between 2021-2037, which equates to 1,122 homes every year.

Furthermore, there is a clear local need for affordable and social housing in Trafford. According to Trafford Council’s Housing Strategy (2019-2023), house prices in the Borough are high and so there is a lack of choice in the market in terms of where people can live and whether they can afford to buy.

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council are committed to tackling this problem by redeveloping vacant sites like the Land off Bold Street. Historically, the site has always been used for housing and its regeneration is a vital step towards tackling the housing crisis. This an opportunity to set a high standard for a sustainable, innovative and inclusive new neighbourhood in the heart of one of England’s most vibrant cities. Homes for Trafford will deliver homes in a range of styles and sizes, as well as a mix of tenures, including market-sale, first-time homeowners, shared ownership and social rent.

If you are interested in a new home at Homes for Trafford, please register for updates on the scheme here.

THE PROPOSALS

The Gold Standard for future developments

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council are committed to listening and engaging with local communities in the Borough by undertaking meaningful and effective community consultation. Having already consulted on the initial Masterplan last year, local people have positively contributed to the development of our scheme.

An initial stage of consultation was undertaken between February and March 2021, engaging with immediate neighbouring residents via a letter and a consultation webpage. At the time, our proposals included 174 homes, including 30% affordable housing that was split 60:40 between shared ownership and social rent.

The scheme also included a flexible community or commercial space, a public ‘community square’ and improvements to the existing parking facilities at the neighbouring tower blocks. Of those that responded to our consultation, 75% of participants supported the proposals. You also told us that energy efficiency and homes for social rent were top priorities.

After reviewing the valuable feedback from the community, Homes for Trafford has progressed with the designs and we are undertaking a second consultation to showcase our improved proposals and take on board your feedback once more before we submit a planning application to Trafford Council’s planning department.

We have prepared an improved Masterplan that encompasses our vision for Homes for Trafford – a landscape-led residential development that has been designed to build around Trafford’s future, prioritising health and wellbeing, access to nature, and sustainable travel. Our plans endeavour to raise the bar for low carbon and low-car neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester.

In short, our proposals will:

Create a new, truly sustainable neighbourhood in Trafford;
Regenerate a vacant brownfield site and preventing development elsewhere on greenspace;
Provide 161 much-needed new homes in a mix of styles, sizes and tenures, including 30% affordable housing, social renting and shared ownership properties;
Include carefully selected materials to ensure that we are creating energy efficient homes right from the outset, and reducing energy bills;
Create significant beautiful green spaces and landscaping for new and existing residents to enjoy, including a central village green;
Deliver safe, outdoor play areas for children;
Promote sustainable travel through walking and cycling routes, superb links to public transport and electric vehicle charging points;
Ensure level access across the site for people with mobility issues;
Include a café or commercial space for a new local business;
Represent £28 million of investment for the local area; and
Support new jobs and apprenticeships during construction, in addition to further jobs indirectly through the supply chain.

Our Homes for Trafford scheme aims to transform ‘the Bird Blocks’ into a ‘phoenix community’.

A chance for you to help create a great place to live

Trafford Housing Trust, part of L&Q – one of the UK’s leading housing associations and developers – and Trafford Council are committed to listening to local people by undertaking meaningful and effective community consultation – and the plans for the Bold Street site are no different.

High-quality family housing for all

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council are committed to tackling the chronic shortage of housing in Trafford, making a meaningful contribution to the Council’s housing targets. Our scheme will ensure a wide range of housing is provided, all of which will have level access for those with mobility issues.

Contemporary, innovative designs for Bold Street

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council have worked together to push the boundaries of design and imagine a vibrant, sustainable community for all. Setting a contemporary and innovative vision, our approach to regenerating the Bold Street site focusses on how we see future communities in Trafford living and working.

A low-carbon, sustainable community

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council want to raise the bar for sustainable communities with our proposals. Using a fabric-first approach, we are aiming for a 70% reduction in carbon across the site which is better for the environment, and better for our bank accounts during the cost-of-living crisis.

Bringing back affordable homes

The proposals for the Bold Street site speak to the Council’s determination to tackle the endemic need for affordable housing in Greater Manchester and the North West, by providing social housing across the borough. Over 30% of the new homes built will be affordable, with a mix between social rent, shared ownership and for first-time buyers.

Regenerating a brownfield site

The site is primed for redevelopment and is sustainably located near parks, public transport links and local amenities, proving it to be a perfect place to live. With your help, we can regenerate this historic part of Trafford and return it to the community, providing high-quality housing without spoiling our beautiful greenspaces.

Significant economic investment

The redevelopment of the site will represent a substantial boost to the local economy, brining much-needed jobs and apprenticeships to the area. As Trafford, like the rest of the country, struggles with the cost-of-living crisis, the project will not only bring new residents to Trafford, but new business and economic growth as well.

What’s Changed?

Since we last consulted with the community in Spring 2021, our project team has been working hard behind the scenes to incorporate community feedback and finesse the proposals. This has included:

Changing the types of homes along the edge of adjacent park from apartments to houses;
A reduction in the number of homes from 174 to 161;
The addition of electric vehicle (EV) charging points;
Additional measures to achieve a 70% reduction in carbon, including the addition of solar panels on each house and apartment and green roofs to bin stores;

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

Please use our virtual exhibition to learn more. You can click and draft the room to view all the boards. Click on the numbers to view the boards.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about the proposals, please check below to view our frequently asked questions and answers. For all other questions, please visit Your Views for ways to submit your questions.

Why has this site been chosen?

The Land off Bold Street site has been vacant for over ten years. Until 2013, the site was the home of four tower blocks – known as ‘the Bird blocks’ due to their bird-themed names. Though vacant, the site remains easily accessible with good public transport access and is in close proximity to shops, services and local schools, including Loreto College. Historically, the site has always been used for housing and its regeneration is a vital step towards tackling the housing crisis and an opportunity to set a high standard for a sustainable, innovative and inclusive new neighbourhood in the heart of one of England’s most vibrant cities.

How will the site be accessed?

The site will be accessed by vehicles from two locations; on Bold Street to the north and Maher Gardens to the South.

Furthermore, the new homes have been designed with accessibility – particularly wheelchair access – as a key priority, ensuring that everyone and anyone can live and work in this part of Old Trafford. All of the homes will have level access and be adaptable dwellings for those who have mobility issues.

Hasn’t this already been decided?

No, a planning application has not yet been submitted. An initial stage of consultation was undertaken in March 2021, engaging with immediate neighbouring residents via a leaflet, social media and a consultation webpage.

After reviewing the valuable feedback from the community in 2021, Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council has progressed with the designs and another consultation is now required before we submit a planning application.

What types of properties are proposed?

The plans will deliver 161 new properties, including 115 houses and maisonettes and 46 apartments. Each ‘quarter’ of the scheme will have a unique design and character. 30% of the new properties will be affordable homes, comprising first-time homeowners, shared ownership and social rent. The exact mix of tenures to be delivered will be decided by Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council in due course based on local housing need.

What are the timescales for the development?

Spring 2021: First public consultation
[now] Summer 2022: Second public consultation
August 2022: Reviewing consultation feedback and finalising the designs
Autumn 2022: Submission of our planning application to Trafford Council
Winter 2022/23: Determination of the planning application
Spring 2023: Construction begins
Summer 2024: First homes are ready to be occupied

What will the scheme look like?

The proposed site Masterplan is focused on high quality design and place-making. We will re-introduce the traditional network of streets to create a familiar, walkable neighbourhood. Residents and visitors will benefit from a clear hierarchy of public space and generous landscaping.

A central ‘green spine’ will connect the heart of the development to the surrounding area as a ‘neighbourhood green’ that provides significant new external amenity space. Smaller mews streets and semi-private courtyards, shared by groups of residents, will provide further access to outdoor space and amenity.

A bold palette of planting will enhance external spaces and focal trees will act as wayfinding markers. Species selected will provide year-round variance in colour and foliage and ground level planting and sustainable drainage systems will contribute to a biodiverse landscape.

The design features a variety of different family houses, with apartment buildings at key locations within the masterplan. The proposed typologies offer a good level of flexibility to provide for a truly mixed and welcoming community. These new homes are of a similar scale to the surrounding residential streets and materially the buildings are designed to feel familiar to all with feature materials and detailing incorporated within areas of different character to reinforce the urban design principles. The design creates a legible and clear street hierarchy with active frontages overlooking external, social spaces.

At its heart, the Masterplan seeks to engender a neighbourly, community feel that encourages wellbeing and healthy lifestyles through safe opportunities for children’s outdoor play, a wide range of highly-visible cycle parking and easy connections to both local surroundings and the wider city.

What measures are you taking to reduce the carbon footprint?

The development will be embracing the latest sustainable technologies and providing opportunities for cycling and walking and linking to local public transport to encourage sustainable travel measures wherever possible. By carefully selecting our materials, we will deliver a scheme which has an excellent energy efficiency rating, reducing both energy usage and bills. Our target is to see a 70% reduction in carbon across the scheme compared to current building regulations. This will be achieved through incorporating the following into our design:

Careful consideration of the orientation of the homes in relation to the sun;
High levels of insulation to keep the homes warm and to minimise heat input required;
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery;
High levels of air tightness;
Low energy lighting;
Solar panels.

Where will residents park?

Car ownership in the local area (taken from the Census) indicates 47% of homes have no car, 41% have one car and 11% have two cars. If applied to the homes at the development, there would be 102 cars. Therefore the proposals more than accommodate this. On-street and private courtyard parking will be provided for the new homes and Homes for Trafford is liaising with Trafford Council’s highways authority regarding parking permits for residents. In summary, we are proposing the following measures:

71 courtyard parking spaces. It is currently being explored that these will be bought/leased separately from the homes. This would allow for a flexible approach to car ownership and allows residents to give up a car if they no longer need one, and moving into the house they like is separate from whether or not it comes with a parking space.
69 new parking spaces on the streets within the development. This will be public highway, and people living at the development will be able to apply to the council to park their own cars here, and to have visitors. We are currently developing with THT and TBC how this will be managed, but there is likely to be a limit on how many permits residents can apply for, to make it fair, to promote other non-car travel and to achieve sustainable development goals.
All courtyard parking spaces will have an electric vehicle charger, and some chargers will be available on street in the development, as well as possibly some on Bold Street.

But won’t residents just park on my street?

We carried out detailed on-street parking surveys to understand the current parking situation in the area. We are exploring whether to introduce parking restrictions on Bold Street so that visitors to the area can park here short-stay, and residents of the towers can also park here (with a new permit), but residents of the new development will not be able to park on Bold Street.

Formalising the parking on Bold Street would also remove pavement parking, making it easier and more pleasant to walk along Bold Street.

Will the development have an impact on the highway?

As part of the planning application, a full assessment of all transport impacts has been carried out in accordance with guidance. A comprehensive Transport Assessment which will be submitted alongside the planning application. Approximately 65 new vehicle journeys will happen in the AM peak hour and 74 in the PM peak hour as a result of the development. Spread over the three access points this is not considered significant and will not adversely impact the network.

Will you be providing any contribution to expanding local service?

New services and facilities will meet local needs, including commercial space and a community centre.

About the joint venture

Trafford Housing Trust (THT) – a part of L&Q – and Trafford Council are joint landowners and are bringing forward the Homes for Trafford plans.

Trafford Housing Trust and Trafford Council have agreed to a joint venture, known as Homes for Trafford, to regenerate land off Bold Street in Old Trafford together. Trafford Council are co-owners of the site, land off Bold Street in Old Trafford, with Trafford Housing Trust. The Council’s development team are working hand-in-hand with Trafford Housing Trust to design the proposals and deliver the best neighbourhood possible, before the plans are submitted to Trafford Council’s planning department for consideration.