Working with Trafford Council, we were delighted to secure a grant of £972,000 from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last year to support the regeneration of Sale West.
Plans are now well under-way, and you can see a breakdown below of how the grant is being split between various projects. The different elements are each meeting the aims and criteria of the Levelling Up fund by:
- Improving the local green infrastructure
- Developing new play and community areas
- Working to address housing need in a popular area
The works fits within the wider timescales of the estate regeneration masterplan, and is also influenced by other factors such as nesting and planting seasons.
Since the grant was issued we’ve been busy finalising the projects it will be spent on, including working with residents on the first street plan for Catterick Avenue, where work has now begun!
Milestones so far have included:
Mar 22 –The proposed spend was agreed by Trafford Council
March – June 22 – Plans confirmed with residents; final architect drawings received; internal processes set up for spend; spend team gathered; quotes for spend amounts gathered
June/July 22 – First orders placed, including:
- Materials and equipment for play areas across the estate. Due to a current shortage of timber, we’re working towards these being installed in October.
- Finger signs for navigation of estate on foot. We’re hoping to have these installed in September – again due to a longer lead time on the order.
- Wildlife habitats - orders placed for swift boxes, small bird boxes, bat boxes, bird of prey boxes, bug hotels and hedgehog highways.
Our next steps
Aug 22
- The first wildlife habitat to be installed – these will be swift boxes on Goodwood Avenue, installed in time for swifts to familiarise themselves ahead of next years’ breeding season!
- Work to begin on a community-led project in Catterick Avenue –we’re working with residents to make better use of space; improve privacy and offer a community place for people to meet.
Still to come
There’s lots of exciting work in the pipeline as we continue to move forward with the exciting plans for this DLUHC grant.
It will include:
- Work on ginnels prone to flooding - although these walkways are owned by Trafford, we are using some of the fund to improve the drainage on some of the hotspots
- Once the play areas are installed, we’ll be adding benches and trees – residents and local groups will have chance to dedicate them to a member of the Sale West community (past or present)
- A walking trail linking new habitats and play areas and directing residents into Carrington Moss as well
- Forest schools for families
- Carpark resurfacing, hedges and fencing improvements
- Horticulture projects with Sale West Community Garden, St Margaret's Primary & Brentwood School
- Planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and plants along the pathways between the avenues – developing the ‘green infrastructure’
- Species surveys and carbon assessments of the area in 6 months' time