Spotlight on Salford Quays

RISING EXPECTATIONS: Salford Quays is getting bigger and better

WHY: The Quays was the original pioneering regeneration scheme turning redundant dockland into an attractive mix of residential and commercial use and many of the initial ideas have stood the test of time. With the tree-line promenades and now clean water it has become a pleasant place to be.

Although the first homes were built here back in 1989, Salford Quays is still a work in progress. Go down there now and the scale of new building is huge, with more to follow soon. Work is about to start on a 21-storey block of 203 apartments next to the landmark NV Buildings and Peel Holdings, which owns most of the undeveloped land around the Quays, has got outline permission to build on a huge swathe at Dock 9 creating not only 200 new homes but also shops, bars and restaurants.

In the property crash of the mid 90s you could pick up a town-house here for around £90,000 - today they are fetching more than double that and demand is good. Because the market here is mature with many owner-occupiers the re-sales have proved good value and a step on the ladder for many first timers.

Merchants Quay was always considered the posh side of the Quays because back in the 90's this was where Manchester's glitterati lived, all the soap stars and big city bods. Corrie's Johnny Briggs still owns a place here apparently although he has recently moved to the towering splendour of Imperial Point.

Although housing has been here awhile other facilities have been distinctly lacking. The Lowry outlet may be a place to bag bargains and there are plenty of places to eat and drink but only recently have more local facilites been opened like the Tesco Metro store on the main Trafford Road. But residents are still decrying a distinct lack of amenities that would make life better.

Salford council views the Quays as not only the dockside but the whole area across Trafford Road and down Ordsall Lane, where more new housing by Bellway and LPC is already under construction.

It is keen on ambitious designs and mixing the new housing with new leisure facilities and business and a priority is to provide public transport.

TRANSPORT: Easy enough to get to off the Motorway or the ring road but the roads around the Quays can get busy and traffic flow is hampered by innumerable sets of lights. The Metrolink tram stops on Trafford Road and there is a suggestion that a separate spur should be created, with some private investment, if Peel go ahead with its big housing plan.

AGENT'S VIEW: Lawrence Copeland said: "The market here is really in two halves. The half with the first phase older properties at St Lawrence and Vancouver is more mature and acts like a suburban market with seasonal peaks and troughs and the majority of people here are owner-occupiers. The other is the new build like Imperial Point and NV, which reflects the city centre market and has seen a lot of speculative buying from investors.

"Properties in the older section have proved affordable in the last couple of years for young professionals looking to get on the property ladder with prices around £140,000 to £160,000, although I think they are reaching their top level now. The kitchens and bathrooms may be a little bit dated but can easily be revamped and they offer a lot of space. And the management company here is very good so they have been well maintained. In Merchants Quay maintenance can be a bit trickier as individual residents are responsible.

"The spec of the new apartments going up is very high but I think we have enough apartments here now. The big demand is for more traditional housing and if Peel built affordable town houses here like they have in Hulme, they would fly out."

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