Plans to implement and further develop a framework to make Salford a “globally recognized destination for people to live, learn, work, visit, play and be active” have made an important step forward.
In March 2020, Salford City Council and Salford University named the English Cities Fund (ECF) as the private sector partner of the Crescent Masterplan.
The partners then signed an overarching umbrella agreement (OUA) – this is the main contract to manage the implementation of the initiative.
The agreement currently depends on the ECF preparing a new planning framework for the Crescent area and the partners approving the Strategic Master Program and Delivery Schedule (SMPDP) to demonstrate how the program will advance over the next decade and beyond .
The Council previously stated that the Crescent “represents one of the UK’s most exciting regenerative opportunities and builds on Salford’s successful renaissance in recent years as a key component of the Northern Powerhouse”.
“The region has the potential to be a world-class travel destination recognized around the world, where people can live, learn, work, visit and play,” she added.
In January 2021, the framework was officially approved, meaning that the first phase of the agreement was fulfilled.
The city’s mayor, Paul Dennett, has now endorsed the SMPDP, which means the OUA has become unconditional and ECF has the contractual security needed to begin creating business plans for the Crescent area.