Planning Case Study 105
The Exchange, Greengate Embankment, Salford
Planning scenario(s)
Heritage assets affected
Non-designated heritage assets with archaeological and historic interest
Type of application & broad category
Local planning authority
Authority: Salford City Council
References: 11/60256/HYB
Development proposal
Partial demolition of viaduct structure. Full planning permission for a 10-storey class B1 office building. Outline Planning Permission for a 9-storey class B1 office building – approval sought for access, layout, and scale. Full planning permission for a car park together with class A1, A22, A3, A4 and B1 retail/commercial units, land bounded by the River Irwell, Chapel Street, Greengate, and the former Liverpool to Manchester Railway Line.
Archaeological information known about the site before the planning application was made, or before the development commenced, as appropriate
Based on archaeological research in the near vicinity, the site was known to be in the heart of the medieval borough of Salford, with later post medieval residential and industrial development truncated by the late 19th Exchange Station. The latter had, in turn, been demolished except for the impressive brick railway arches forming the undercroft to the former station.
Archaeological/planning processes
The investment bank financing the development required discharge of conditions before development groundworks commenced.
Work already undertaken comprised: a desk-based assessment, historic building survey of the brick arches forming the undercroft of the late 19th century former station, and evaluation trenches. The latter revealed medieval and post-medieval remains sealed under the arches.
A contractual agreement was prepared between the archaeological contractor and the developer concerning costs of outstanding archaeological investigations (defined by the evaluation), including archive deposition and dissemination of the results through publication of a popular booklet, and submitted to the archaeological advisor to the LPA and the LPA for approval.
This then allowed the archaeological advisor to the LPA to recommend discharge of the archaeological condition.
Outcomes: archaeological
Public benefit in terms of publication, archiving and popular booklet secured through contractual agreement. This made possible the developer’s request to discharge of the condition before commencement of the development.
Other outcomes/outputs e.g. other public benefit such as public engagement, research and new/changed work practices
See above
References and links/bibliography
- Pre-Construct Archaeology 2014, The Exchange, Greengate Embankment, Salford, Manchester: Historical Background. Unpublished report no. R11636.
- Pre-Construct Archaeology 2014, An Archaeological Evaluation at The Exchange Bridge Car Park, Greengate/Chapel Street, Salford, Greater Manchester. Unpublished report no. R11635.
- Pre-Construct Archaeology 2015, An Archaeological Excavation at The Exchange, Greengate Embankment, Salford, Manchester: Assessment Report. Unpublished report.
- Pre-Construct Archaeology 2015, Built Heritage Recording at the Exchange, Greengate Embankment, Salford, Greater Manchester. Unpublished report no R11636.
- Haslam, R, Proctor, J & Ridgeway, V 2017, The Exchange Station, Greengate, Salford: the history and archaeology of a transformed urban landscape, Greater Manchester’s Past Revealed 18.
