I recently joined a Downtown in Business Leaders Lunch event exploring how Salford has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities. With Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett and Stephen Young, CEO of Salford City Council, setting out the city’s progress and ambitions, it was an optimistic session – but also one grounded in realism. Here are my main takeaways.
Growth has to work for people, not just balance sheets
The headline numbers really do make you sit up and take notice – 55,000 new jobs over the past decade and an economy now generating more than £10 billion in GVA. The city’s development is outpacing other core UK cities across a wide range of metrics. But the message from Paul Dennett was that growth needs to benefit residents of Salford.
Indeed, ‘good growth’– development that improves the lives of ordinary residents, rather than simply benefiting large corporates – was a recurring theme at the event. That distinction can too easily get lost, so it was refreshing to hear it placed front and centre.
Public-private partnership is doing the heavy lifting
Nowhere is this more clearer than at MediaCity. With Landsec having taken over from Peel set to bring forward the next phase, Dennett was notably complimentary about the developer’s grasp of what a younger demographic actually wants (even reaching for the words “cool” and “trendy”).
Beyond the labels, the serious point is that Salford’s progress depends on the public and private sectors working together on housing and infrastructure.
Housing as the foundation for everything else
The standout theme for me was housing. Dennett was clear that good housing is what lifts people out of poverty, gives talent a base to thrive, and reduces reliance on welfare.
Salford’s affordable and social housing programme, delivered through the council’s wholly-owned housing company Dérive, has outperformed other local authorities in England; that’s no small achievement. We’re proud to work with Dérive, and it’s rewarding to see a delivery model that pairs genuine ambition with measurable results.
This also connects to a wider regional story. It was recently announced that Manchester City Council had another record year for affordable housing in 2025, four years into its ten-year strategy. Salford’s route is different – it has its own arm’s-length company, rather than the partnership-and-Homes England approach next door – but the direction of travel across the region is the same.
Greater Manchester is leading the charge on social and affordable housing, and that should give investors real confidence.
Place-making, not just property
Stephen Young made the point that Salford needs to be somewhere people live and work, not just somewhere property gets built and let. This was changing.
Bringing research and development organisations into the city is central to that, with the University of Salford playing a key role in collaboration with the council. Young also reminded attendees that bold bets pay off; for example, the once “ludicrous” decision to buy Salford Docks gave us The Lowry and a thriving tourism destination, with more to come. Regeneration at Swinton and Eccles is next on the list.
The real blocker isn’t planning
One exchange in particular stuck with me. Asked about the barriers for delivering hospitals and schools, Dennett was adamant that Salford’s planning system is not the problem. The genuine challenge is funding, with central government money deployed elsewhere (such as remediating RAAC concrete and post-Grenfell cladding a fine example.) It’s a useful counter to the familiar narrative that planning is always the villain.
So, a hugely energising and inspiring session which highlighted how Salford’s significant success has been built on ambition, partnership and delivery. The calls-to-arms now is to ensure that that the city’s growth remains inclusive.
