Leaders hail ‘extremely successful’ UK-China partnership as £1bn Salford scheme tops out

Work on phase one of the £1bn Middlewood Locks development in Salford has hit a new milestone.

Construction of the mixed-use scheme reached its highest point this week, with property developer Scarborough International Properties Limited and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) marking the occasion with a topping-out ceremony.

The event, held on Tuesday (October 31), was attended by Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett and the Vice Consul General to the People’s Republic of China in Manchester, Fan Yingjie.

In its opening phase, the Middlewood Locks project will create 571 apartments and 10,000 sq ft of commercial space.

An internal fit-out is now underway, with the first residents due arrive in Spring 2018.

Phase one of construction was delivered by FairBriar International, a joint venture between Scarborough, Chinese investor Hualing Group and Singapore-listed Metro Holdings Limited in a deal worth £85m.

The 24.5-acre Middlewood Locks development will eventually serve as a waterside neighbourhood between Salford and Manchester, providing 2,215 new homes and 900,000 sq ft of commercial space across offices, hotel, shops, restaurants and a gym.

The scheme, which will also include landscaped areas of green public space, is being developed around three large basins of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.

A purpose-built marketing suite opened at Middlewood Locks earlier this year to showcase the new homes on offer.

Scarborough chairman Kevin McCabe said: “We are delighted to achieve ‘topping out’ for the first phase of our Middlewood Locks development which signifies an extremely successful partnership with BCEGI.

“Despite a complex delivery programme and tight timescale this first phase remains on schedule, to the credit of BCEGI and the wider project team.”

He added: “Middlewood Locks is a major undertaking for us and I am pleased to say greatly supports the regional economy with strong job creation and ultimately much needed new homes in the city.”

BCEGI’s regional director for Europe and North America, Yan Xing, commented: “ am very pleased we have reached this important milestone on phase one of Middlewood Locks and our partnership with Scarborough Group is going from strength to strength.

“BCEGI is developing long term relationships with local contractors and subcontractors which are proving to be very successful.”

Fan Yingjie said of the milestone: “It is wonderful to visit Middlewood Locks at such a significant stage in the project.

“The partnership between Scarborough and BCEGI is an excellent example of how UK and Chinese businesses can work together to achieve positive results, not just in terms of creating this new community but also creating jobs and helping economic growth.”

Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, commented: “It is very pleasing to see the Middlewood Locks project becoming the success story that we had envisaged, bringing real benefit to the people of Salford.

“This is a brownfield derelict site being brought back into beneficial use with a new residential district.”

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