Work begins on highly sustainable social housing for older people in Salford

Construction work has begun on a highly sustainable social housing development designed exclusively for older people in Salford.

Salix Homes is working alongside main contractor Caddick to build a 69-home ‘independent living scheme’ for the over 55s on disused land on Arrow Street in Broughton.

The development is being built to Passivhaus standards and also incorporates a doctors’ surgery for NHS Greater Manchester, which will be a valuable addition to the community.

Passivhaus is the leading low-energy design standard, providing homes which offer high thermal comfort and improved air quality, enabling a healthier living environment as well as lower energy bills.

Liam Turner, Chief Executive at Salix Homes, said: “We’re incredibly excited to begin construction on this innovative new housing development and to work alongside our partners Caddick Construction, OMI Architects, Homes England and NHS Greater Manchester, to bring our shared vision to life. This project represents the future of older people’s housing – delivering homes that are desirable, sustainable, and better meet the needs and aspirations of the older generation.

“Through working collaboratively with the design team, this development will create a supportive environment for older people, enabling them to live independently for longer in homes that are fit-for-the-future, while promoting their health and wellbeing, with access to essential health services right on their doorstep.”

The three-storey scheme includes 66 one-bedroom apartments and three two-bedroom apartments. Eleven of the apartments will be specifically designed to cater for residents with extra-mobility needs, including wheelchair access.

The development also includes new, modern premises for Mocha Parade GP practice. The practice has been operating from temporary accommodation on the edge of its practice boundary since its original site was demolished in 2020 as part of local redevelopment. The new facility will bring it back into the heart of the community, expanding from three to five clinical rooms and supporting future growth.

Dave Saville, Regional Managing Director at Caddick Construction North West, said: “At Caddick, we are always proud to be involved in the delivery of new housing, particularly in creating sustainable, high-quality homes that make a difference to people’s lives. Caddick’s experience in building Passivhaus developments makes us a perfect fit for Salix Homes’ new scheme and we, alongside our local supply chain partners, look forward to delivering this fantastic scheme on Arrow Street.”

Philip Etchells, Associate Director at OMI Architects, added: “It has been a pleasure working with Salix Homes and the rest of the design team in getting the Arrow Street project to this stage and we are excited about now getting this innovative Passivhaus scheme into construction.

“As a result of the ambitious building performance criteria being baked into the project from the very earliest stages, it has been fascinating to be able to develop a contextual architectural response that also expresses the fundamental principles of Passivhaus.”

Anna Ganotis, Head of Primary Care (Salford), NHS Greater Manchester, said: “We welcome this much-needed development, which will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose site for residents and support the health and wellbeing of the community. Having high-quality healthcare facilities integrated into a scheme like this is an important step in meeting future demand and improving access for older people.”

Salix Homes secured grant funding from Homes England through its Affordable Homes Programme to help fund the development, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

We are no stranger to Passivhaus design having completed Greenhaus last year, which is the largest Passivhaus affordable housing development in the North West. Construction is also underway on a similar Passivhaus-certified scheme – Willohaus, which will deliver a further 100 affordable eco-homes in Salford and is due for completion in spring 2026.