More than 3,000 new homes, and “unparalleled access” to employment, retail, leisure, and recreation could be on its way to Salford.
That’s because “ambitious” plans to regenerate Salford Quays and MediaCity have just been unveiled.
Building on the ‘Salford Quays 2030 Vision’, and outlining what are said to be “four key aspirations” for the waterfront neighbourhood, artist impression images of what the area could look like if the plans are approved by Salford City Council‘s planning committee following a consultation starting next week, have also been released.
The plans and images show what would be a more “vibrant and convenient” town centre – with additional commercial office space, high-quality and affordable homes, and new public areas and green spaces.
Ultimately, developers say they just want to “enhance” the current waterfront space.
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‘Ambitious’ plans to regenerate Salford Quays and MediaCity have been unveiled / Credit: MediaCity
The vast scale of the proposed regeneration project would stretch MediaCity’s current site and double it in size to include the area around Quayside too
Developers say the plans are “defined” by four quarters each characterised by a specific purpose.
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These four areas include ‘The Media Quarter’, which encompasses the current cluster of creative, tech and digital companies positioned around the main Piazza and along the Manchester Ship Canal, and ‘The Waterfront and Gateway’ zone, which will “maximise” the unique waterfront setting with a new pedestrian link bridge from MediaCity to The Lowry and Quayside, and some new all-weather pavilions.
There’ll also be ‘The Living Hub’, which is where the more than 3,000 new “highly sustainable” homes would take shape, as well as new businesses and convenience retail.
Finally, there’d also be ‘The Culture and Community Hub’, which is centred in and around Quayside and The Lowry Theatre, and is described as being the “vibrant cultural, leisure, and retail heart” of the whole destination.
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What MediaCity and Salford waterfront currently looks like / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
MediaCity’s Managing Director Stephen Wild said the proposed plans are a “once in a generation” transformation for the area of Salford and its future for the next decade.
He added: “We want to deliver an unrivalled destination which will provide more quality homes, employment opportunities, community facilities, a rich cultural and leisure scene while making the most of The Quays greatest assets.
“We’re creating a place for the people of Salford to be proud of, which is why feedback on the proposed framework from our local community is so important.”
Keen to have your say on the plans? A drop-in event is taking place on Wednesday 18 October between 12-6:30pm on the 6th floor of Orange Tower in MediaCity.
After the launch event, the information boards will then be on display to review for six weeks in the Customer Service Centre – which is on the upper level of the Quayside shopping centre.
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Feedback on the plans can be submitted online from 18 October here.
Featured Image – MediaCity
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Stockport man jailed for life after kidnapping and sexually assaulting teenage girl
Emily Sergeant
A Stockport man has been sentenced to life in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl on her way home from the library.
Paul Sharpe has been sentenced to life imprisonment with an eight-year minimum term in prison after being convicted of a number of offences when subjected a teenage girl to what police called a ‘terrifying ordeal’ that lasted several hours back in May 2026.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the victim had been studying at Sale Library before beginning her journey home with friends at around 5:50pm and contacting her parents at 6:10pm to let them know she was on her way.
Twenty minutes later, she spoke to her boyfriend on the phone and said she was approximately five minutes away from home, but that her phone battery was about to die.
This was the last contact received from the victim that evening.
While walking along Bradgate Road in Altrincham, the victim noticed a grey Ford parked nearby and a man wearing a high-visibility jacket pressing doorbells in the area.
As she walked past, Sharpe approached her from behind, placed her in a headlock and threatened to stab her if she did not get into his vehicle.
Concerned that their daughter had not returned home, the victim’s family contacted police at 9:22pm to report her missing, and officers immediately launched an investigation to locate her.
Over the next several hours, the victim was subjected to and placed in a number of terrifying situations.
Sharpe drove the victim to several locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, before police located and arrested him at around 3:40am on 19 May 2026.
Following his arrested, 56-year-old Sharpe was convicted of kidnap, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, threats with a bladed article, and administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for a young girl who was simply making her way home,” explained Detective Inspector Karl Perry, from GMP’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Sharpe targeted a vulnerable victim, subjected her to hours of fear and intimidation, and went on to sexually assault her.
“The victim has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Through her bravery and actions, she no doubt made it harder for Sharpe to carry out whatever acts he had planned.”
Emily Sergeant -
12th October 2023 
