Go-ahead for £140m MediaCity office scheme

The go-ahead has been given for a £140m office development at MediaCity in Salford, which will be home to 2,200 people.Designed by Sheppard Robson, the “highly sustainable” 11-storey scheme will bring forward a further 263,000 sq ft of flexible office space to the media destination.Approval paves the way for the first major development for the waterside, tech and digital hub since Landsec’s 75 per cent acquisition from Peel L&P in November 2021.The development will include three retail and leisure units, spanning 9,400 sq ft across the ground floor earmarked for independent traders.It will have the potential to host a mixture of large corporates and small to medium sized businesses within its ARRIVE co-working workspace.The scheme will feature green balconies on every other level as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking a new 28,000 sq ft landscaped public realm, which will include pathways, seating areas, trees, shrubs and grasses.Also included is a 283-capacity safe bike hub with changing facilities.Stephen Wild, managing director of MediaCity, said: “This is a milestone moment in our shared ambition with Landsec to double the size of MediaCity and deliver new buildings where businesses and their people will thrive among the dynamic community of creatives, techies and innovators who are based here.”We’re creating an environment where we want people to be inspired by their surroundings both within the office and while taking time out in the green spaces we’re curating as well as along our unique waterfront setting.”Mark Allan, chief executive of Landsec, added: “Mixed-use developments such as this, with a clear sense of place, are becoming an increasingly important ingredient in the fabric of our cities. This next step in MediaCity’s evolution demonstrates our commitment to Salford and the vibrancy of the office market in Greater Manchester.”The earliest potential start of the development would be in the summer of 2023 and the project would take approximately two years to complete.