Acoustics Building

The proposed development is part of the University's ever-growing Campus Connectivity Plan, which connects industry, education and innovation. The Acoustics Building will be located in the newly approved Crescent Innovation district. Crescent Innovation will build on existing world-class research and development capabilities at the University, helping to drive further economic growth in the city and wider region and facilitating enhanced links between academia, research, and business.

Spanning 29 acres between Broughton Road East and University Road, Crescent Innovation has regeneration at its heart and will be linked to the wider masterplan by Salford Rise – a near five-acre podium which will span Frederick Road. Laying the foundations for connectivity and collaboration, Salford Rise will act as a key gateway between our campus and the wider innovation zone.

The building will be 1,271 sqm and 16.5m in height, which is roughly the height of three, two-storey houses. It aims to provide a new dedicated facility to house the teaching, research and commercial activities of the University of Salford Acoustics Team, which are currently located within the Newton Building on Peel Park campus.

Several surveys and assessments have been carried out as part of the draft proposals to ensure the scheme responds positively to the local context. Discussions have taken place with the Local Planning Authority and other relevant consultees.

The University is preparing a Reserved Matters Application for submission in December 2024, of Plot A6 in the centre of the Cresent Innovation North area.

It is anticipated that the Reserved Matters Application will be submitted by December 2024 with a decision expected in April 2025. If planning approval is granted, work is expected to start on site in Summer 2025 and the building completion is anticipated in Spring 2027. The dates are to be confirmed at this stage.

The project is part of the newly approved Crescent Innovation district, which lies just north of our Peel Park Campus. The development has been proposed by the Crescent partnership comprising of ECF, Salford City Council, and the University of Salford.

The proposed scheme, if granted planning permission, will be located on an underutilized brownfield site on Lissadel Street formally housing an industrial unit which was demolished by Salford City Council in 2023. 

The site is located on an industrial unit on Lissadel Steet which was demolished by Salford City Council in 2023. Regeneration of this space will support the local economy, helping to bring business and investment to the area.  All efforts will be made to reduce the disruption and impact to residents, businesses, colleagues and students.

Our students are our top priority but, along with all construction, some disruption is expected. While we are not anticipating much noise disturbance to our University community due to the site location, there are lots of study spaces across campus, along with quiet places to work. 

Study spaces across campus can be found here: Student Spaces on Campus - Made in Salford

You can find a list of quiet spots around campus here: Campus quiet spaces and where to find them - Made in Salford 

We welcome your views on the proposed building. The public consultation will take place from Friday 8 November 2024 and close on Friday 22 November 2024. You can get in touch by email on Estates-CCP@salford.ac.uk with the reference ‘Acoustics’.

The purpose of the public consultation is to ensure that our University community and local residents can provide feedback on the proposal to help shape the development of the new building.

Once the planning application has been submitted, Salford City Council will formally notify residents and ask for any comments on the proposal.

Please find an illustrative visual of the front entrance above, as designed by Morgan Sindall and Sheppard Robson.

Despite the site’s previous industrial use, it currently includes a significant amount of soft landscaping and has eight mature trees that will need to be removed. The design team has thoroughly explored options to enhance biodiversity on-site, such as planting larger trees, expanding hedgerows, installing bird and insect boxes, and increasing soft landscaping areas in place of hard surfaces. These efforts aim to create a positive ecological impact, supporting local wildlife habitats and enhancing the green infrastructure in the area.

In line with our sustainability objectives, it is important that all our developments have a positive impact (net gain) on biodiversity, compared to what was there before. All our latest buildings on campus have had a significantly higher net gain than the 10% imposed by statutory planning and we will endeavor to do the same for the Acoustics Building. 

The proposed scheme is dedicated to enhancing the student experience while supporting the University’s sustainability and carbon reduction goals. The University is committed to achieving a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ and aims to exceed current Building Regulation requirements by improving thermal performance. We are also integrating low-energy and low-carbon technologies to minimize energy consumption and the building's carbon footprint.

To support this initiative, the building is all electric and the University plan to install 640 square meters of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Our PV strategy focuses on maximizing the number of solar panels on the available roof areas, with the main volume roof designed to accommodate the highest possible amount of PV installation.

There will be a single accessible parking space (with EV charger) to the southern edge of the site, along Strawberry Hill. Whilst there is no on-site parking currently provided as part of the scheme, long-term a transport hub is expected to be delivered as part of our Campus Connectivity Plan to serve the site. 

The principal contractor, Morgan Sindall will be managing contractor parking during construction. The exact location for this has not yet been decided, however it will be ringfenced to a designated area only. 

Salford Rise is a separate project and not part of this planning consultation. If you have queries related to the Salford Rise project, please contact salfordrisesupport@ericwright.co.uk