University of Salford shares plans for new Clinic building

The new building will help the University deliver its commitment to providing more public services on site, and to train new generations of healthcare professionals. The University’s teams will be working with partners including the NHS to use the new building as a way of increasing the accessibility of community services and reducing waiting lists.

Subject to receiving planning permission, building work is planned to start this Summer and the project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Kier is working with the University to develop their proposals for the new building.

The building is part of the School of Health and Society, which is the largest School in the University with over 8400 students.  It will be located behind the Mary Seacole building next to Salford Crescent train station and will house specialist teaching and practice areas for some of the University’s most popular healthcare courses.

Clinical standard spaces over three floors will be provided for teaching Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Sports Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy and Gait Analysis.  In time community healthcare clinics will also take place there as partnerships are developed to explore research opportunities and to provide a range of therapeutic sessions

Vicky Halliwell, Deputy Dean at The School of Health and Society, said: “The new Clinic building will provide world class teaching and research facilities for use by colleagues, students and people needing health and wellbeing services. We already have a worldwide reputation for the quality of our healthcare courses, with our students getting real life experience from our experts in their fields.

“The new site will help us to build on that work and is central to our wider plan to reduce health and social inequalities, and to support the integrated care system by tackling workforce challenges.”

The new building, designed by AHR Architects, will occupy approximately 5500 square metres floorspace. It will offer an accessible roof space and terraces, with entrances to the East and West. Green spaces and extensive planting will feature throughout the building.

The building will be all-electric, with the design team aspiring to deliver a zero-carbon building. The site is a key development in the £2.5bn Salford Crescent Masterplan, the delivery of which will benefit not only colleagues and students, but the wider Salford community too.

A period of public engagement on the proposals is taking place between 24th January and 7th February before the planning application is submitted. This is an opportunity for members of the public, as well as University staff and students to find out more about the proposals and to ask questions.

Further details regarding the proposals and how to comment are available on the University’s website.

There will be a drop–in event at the University’s Mary Seacole Building at the Frederick Road Campus, (M6 6PU). The session will run from 4pm to 7pm on 1st February 2024. 

David Maiden Project Director from AECOM said: “AECOM are delighted to be working with the University of Salford and the team on this project bringing together academia, frontline healthcare services and research capability in one exciting, innovative and highly sustainable building.”

Robert Hopkins, Director of AHR said: ‘Working closely with the University, AHR have helped develop the next exciting chapter for the School of Health and Society. This ground-breaking facility will deliver authentic applied education provision and give greater community access to university expertise and facilities whilst setting a standard as one of the most sustainable buildings in the city.’

Avison Young are advising on planning.