Creating a new Pendleton PFI press release.

Plans to transform Pendleton have moved a step closer after the vision for Salford’s biggest ever housing led regeneration project was unveiled. Salford City Council has selected a preferred partner for the “Create a New Pendleton” scheme, which will revive this 200 hectare area of the city by creating 1600 new homes and refurbishing a further 1200 existing homes. The preferred partner is the SP+ consortium, led by Together Housing Group member Chevin Housing Association Ltd. They were selected after a four year competitive tender process that involved significant consultation with the local community in Pendleton. As well as housing, the scheme will also provide new sports pitches, green space, walk ways and cycle paths for local residents to enjoy. The SP+ consortium is expected to submit a full planning application in the summer, with work set to begin later in the year. Consultation with local residents will continue throughout this process to make sure the plans create space people will want to live, work and play in. As well as the housing improvements, the work proposed will create 500 new jobs, 2000 work experience placements and training opportunities for 3200 people. They will also create opportunities for local suppliers to benefit from contracts. Councillor John Warmisham, Langworthy Ward Councillor said: “This is an incredibly exciting and much anticipated regeneration scheme for the area. The plans put forward by the preferred bidder not only build new housing, they will also make the most of what is already there, refurbishing some of the existing properties and creating parks and green space that will create a much nicer environment for local residents to enjoy. "It has taken many years to get to the stage where we are ready to start the scheme, but it is so important we get a scheme like this right as it has major implications for the community. Good housing and facilities can make a big difference to a community, having a positive impact on everything from health and wellbeing to crime and disorder. I am pleased to see this scheme coming forward, and that the community has had such a big impact on shaping it." City Mayor of Salford, Ian Stewart, said: “There is no doubt that this is a good thing for the city, bringing much needed regeneration to this area of Salford. Throughout this process we have worked closely with the community, local councillors and the local MP to develop a scheme that everyone could be happy with. “But this work isn’t over. In the coming months the community will have a big role to play in finalising the plans for this development. This collaborative approach is something I want to see happening across the city, making sure communities are actively engaged in development schemes.” The process to “Create a New Pendleton” began in 2003 when the council recognised that the housing available in the area needed investment. They consulted with local residents, who agreed that a Private Finance Initiative was the best way to make the improvements that were needed in Pendleton. Throughout the process residents’ opinions were sought and built into the regeneration plans. A final evaluation of the plans selected the SP+ consortium as the preferred partner to bring the vision for a new Pendleton to life.