A Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) is a strategic document which sets a clear vision for an area to guide future investment in a place and sets out the type of development which might be considered acceptable in certain locations.

An SRF does not give planning permission for anything, nor does it form planning policy, but once finalised and approved, the framework will become a material consideration for the purpose of future planning applications. This means that the contents of the framework will help guide decisions on future individual planning applications that may come forward in the area.

The Strangeways and Cambridge draft SRF has been prepared by Manchester City Council and Salford City Council jointly with the help of a consultant team who have provided expertise on design, flooding, movement, and sustainability. The SRF document is in a draft form and is currently being consulted on. Comments and views on the framework should be made during the consultation period. For more information visit the Project home page.

Once the consultation has concluded, all responses will be considered and the draft documents updated where necessary. The finalised documents, alongside a full consultation report, will be considered by both Manchester and Salford City Council’s Members later in the year to approve the regeneration framework.

The draft Strangeways and Cambridge SRF presents a high-level vision for future of the area. This vision is for the area to become a place for businesses to grow and thrive alongside a major new urban park, significant new housing – including affordable homes – and significant commercial and employment opportunities.

The draft SRF presents a development approach that will support targets to become a zero-carbon city by 2038 and reacts to other environmental factors in the areas, including increased future flood risk linked to climate change.

The key themes of the SRF include:

• Business and employment: Increase business and employment opportunities – supporting ongoing economic growth in both Manchester and Salford.
• Green and blue infrastructure: Create a network of green spaces and celebrate the River Irwell – including the creation of a large new city centre park (working title: Copper Park).
• Movement: Prioritise a ‘people first’ approach to the area, including active travel while carefully managing parking, servicing and delivery requirements.
• Heritage and culture: Celebrate the existing architecture and heritage buildings in the area as part of the future vision.

The SRF is currently a draft document that sets out a high level vision for the area for the next 20-30 years. It is currently subject to public consultation, and nothing has yet been approved.

We want residents, community groups, businesses, and landowners to respond to the draft SRF with their thoughts so that these can be taken into account in the finalisation of the document.

The Cambridge estate area of Salford, and some areas of Manchester off Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road sit alongside the River Irwell, within the River Irwell flood risk area. The area is known to have a long history of flood risk, with the most recent major flood to impact the area occurring as part of the Boxing Day floods of 2015.

The Environment Agency publishes flood maps to show the risk of flooding across England. Current flood maps show most of the Cambridge area, and parts of Great Ducie Street / Bury New Road as in flood zones 2 and 3. Flood zone 2 has a medium risk of flooding each year and flood zone 3 a high risk of flooding each year.

Significant investment has been made to manage flood risk in Salford to try and reduce the risks to residents and businesses in these areas. In 2005 the Littleton Road flood basin was completed, followed in 2018 by the delivery of the second flood storage reservoir at the former Castle Irwell site. These basins reduce the risks of flooding from the river but cannot prevent flooding completely. With the basins, and other flood alleviation measures in place, the current flood risk for the area is described as low for flooding from rivers and sea.

Information is available online for residents and businesses within the River Irwell flood risk area.

For Salford City Council: see https://www.salford.gov.uk/advice-and-support/flood-information/

For Manchester City Council: see https://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500373/flooding

The River Irwell flood risk area is covered by a flood warning system. This means that the Environment Agency (EA) can provide people with flood alerts by telephone, mobile, email, and SMS text message. The EA issue flood alerts when flooding is possible. Flood alerts cover larger areas than flood warnings and are issued more frequently. If you receive a flood alert you should be prepared for flooding and to take action.

As part of the flood risk associated with the River Irwell, the EA continues to inspect, maintain, operate and improve the condition of assets like the nearby flood basins and flood embankments that protect Salford.

Sign up for Flood Warnings by:

Calling Floodline 0345 988 1188 Or going on line to GOV.UK

A Development Flood Risk Management Proposals & Justification Report has been produced to support the Strangeways & Cambridge SRF.

This report confirms that when considering future development, as we are in the SRF, National Planning Policy requires the assessment to consider climate change. Evidence shows that with climate change, we will see the number of days of intense and prolonged rainfall increasing which means more water in our rivers. Over time this means the frequency and severity of flooding will increase.

The EA have recently published updated flood maps which confirms an increasing risk from future flooding in this area, due to climate change.

The SRF therefore has to look ahead and make plans which reflect this anticipated future flood risk. Over the lifetime of the SRF, the vision is to steer development away from areas considered at high risk of future flooding, prioritising new development in lower risk areas or areas identified at no risk of future flooding. In those areas considered at high risk of future flooding, the SRF proposes, overtime, the creation of a new park.

The Development Flood Risk Management Proposals & Justification Report has been prepared in consultation with the Environment Agency (EA). The EA have confirmed that they agree with the appraisal of the flood risk across the area and support the proposals as set out in the SRF, subject to implementation of the mitigation measures further outlined in the Flood Risk Management & Justifications report

The SRF is currently a draft document that sets out a high level vision for the area for the next 20-30 years. It is currently subject to public consultation, and nothing has yet been approved.

We want residents, community groups, businesses, and landowners to respond to the draft SRF with their thoughts so that these can be taken into account in the finalisation of the document.

For residents and businesses in the River Irwell flood risk area, there is no need for any immediate actions to take place as properties have an increased level of resilience from current flood risk with the existing flood defences. The SRF has been produced now to enable the two Councils, alongside landowners, to begin to plan for change because of future climate change effects.

We know that some of the proposals in the document, if approved, could mean significant change for this area in the future, and that is why we want to understand and listen to people's views during this consultation.

Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, Salix Homes, and the Environment Agency will work together to make sure we manage this change in an open and transparent way. This consultation is only the start of that process, and there will be ongoing dialogue with local residents, businesses and stakeholders in the years ahead, once the SRF has been finalised and approved.

In the 1960s, engineering work was carried out on a section of the River Irwell to prevent flooding in Salford. A huge meander of the river was bypassed, drained and the river course rationalised and straightened. This section of the river is now referred to as the ‘Anaconda Cut’, derived from the Anaconda Copper Wire Works

that once stood on St Simon Street where the river was diverted. The proposed name of Copper Park acknowledges the heritage in this area.

This name is just for drafting purposes, and there are opportunities to change this name based on engagement with stakeholders.

If you have provided your contact details and have asked to stay in touch, Manchester City Council and Salford City Council will keep your details to provide you with updates on the SRF.

If you have also indicated, via our forms, that you think you live in a property, own a building, or run a business/organisation impacted by the flood risk and climate change conclusions, the Councils may also be in touch to discuss, when appropriate, any future emerging proposals and related timescales. However, as this is a long-term vision there is no immediate change expected.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact us via email.

Manchester City Council on strangeways@manchester.gov.uk

Salford City Council on cambridge@salford.gov.uk