Housing hub proposed for Orthodox community in Salford with built-in succahs

The one-and-a-half-acre site, which is located in Broughton, has been vacant for two decades. The previous building, Hanover Court, a 16-storey residential block, was demolished in 2006.

CGI rendering of the community hub (Brooks Murray Architects / Agudas Israel Housing Association)[Missing Credit]

The plans are classed as a major development and are waiting for approval by the council. They will be considered by a planning committee before the end of November.

AIHA said that their aim was “to assist the community in providing adequate affordable homes and amenities to address these needs”.

In the planning statement, they added: “There is an acute shortage of suitable affordable housing in Salford and the wider Manchester area for the needs of this community.

“Their members’ way of life requires them to live close to each other as a community, to the extent that many prefer to stay in unsuitable properties rather than to move away from their community.”

In 2023, the Salford City Council approved the sale of the land to London-based charity Delapage, which is developing the scheme, with AIHA set to run and fund the facility.

AIHA intends to offer 50 per cent of the homes available at affordable prices or rents, subject to funding.

The organisation also operates many of the properties within the nearby 700-home Broughton Green estate.

Brooks Murray Architects is leading on the design of the complex. The community hub is set to be a curved building with a roof garden, adjacent to the residential units.

In an article in the Manchester Evening News, the architects said: “Ultimately, the proposal is not just about providing housing, but about creating a place where community life can flourish, where families feel at home, relationships are strengthened, and a strong sense of identity and belonging is reinforced.”

The project follows news earlier this month from other Jewish housing associations in the north, namely, the merger of the Manchester Jewish Housing Association and Liverpool Jewish Housing Association into the new North West Jewish Housing Association.