en.Wedoany.com Reported - Henley Investment Management is required to resubmit its 3,300-home scheme at Regent Retail Park in Salford to the city council for consideration. The plan, approved last November with a gross development value of £1.3 billion (GDV), includes a 78-storey tower that would become the tallest in the UK outside London upon completion.

Earlier this year, the "Save Regent Retail Park" group filed a formal complaint alleging a conflict of interest involving Councillor Phil Cusack, chair of the Planning and Transportation Regulatory Panel. At the time of the approval meeting, Cusack also served as a director of Derive, Salford City Council's affordable housing company. The group argued that Derive's potential future involvement in the scheme's social housing component constituted a conflict of interest. Cusack has since resigned from his position at Derive.

Henley's commitment to deliver 660 social rented homes, which was crucial to securing approval, became the focus of the complaint amid questions over Derive's potential role in the social housing element. The scheme has consequently been delayed in the short term.

A spokesperson for Salford City Council confirmed that the planning application for Regent Retail Park remains under consideration and has not been "withdrawn" as the group claimed. The previous approval was granted subject to conditions and the completion of legal agreements. The scheme is expected to be resubmitted to the Planning and Transportation Regulatory Panel at a date to be confirmed.

The project, unveiled in 2023, is designed by Matt Brook Architects, with LDA handling landscape design and Savills overseeing planning. The site is designated for redevelopment under Salford's local plan and currently comprises 118,000 square feet of retail space, with tenants including Home Bargains, Boots, and several charity shops. The existing buildings will be demolished to make way for a 10-building development.

While the group is pleased that the scheme must be reconsidered, its concerns over the deliverability of affordable housing, car parking provision, and the loss of retail space remain. The developer has repeatedly stated that the new development will provide nearly the same amount of retail space—around 100,000 square feet—and has invited existing retailers to return; it will also feature a 2.5-acre central park, a right of first refusal to provide a 7,000-square-foot unit to the National Health Service (NHS), and a five-year parking permit scheme for local residents. However, these arrangements have done little to allay the concerns of many local residents, particularly those in Ordsall, who feel they are losing a vital part of their community and that their concerns have not been heard.