Salford City Council and Muse launch the next phase of the community conversation on Eccles town centre regeneration

In summer 2025, Salford City Council and Muse formed a long-term partnership to transform Eccles, helping to create a modern, vibrant and fit-for-purpose town centre. An initial community conversation was launched in Autumn 2025 to help identify interventions and opportunities that the community wanted to see incorporated into the future plans for the town.

Since then, the partnership has been using this feedback to identify the key threads and priorities that should weave throughout the plans, to create a town centre that enhances public spaces, supports businesses, strengthens connectivity and movement, whilst creating a safe, vibrant space that celebrates Eccles’ rich history. 

Today, the next phase of that community conversation has launched – focused around the draft masterplan, which has been crafted using all of this feedback. The plan seeks to bring the right mix of spaces and uses to the town centre, whilst reflecting what matters most to local people. 

This includes:

• A refreshed retail offer, alongside cafés, food and drink uses, and space for everyday services such as health and wellbeing services. 
• Redesign of key streets and public spaces, including Albert Street, Peel Street and Vicarage Grove, to improve accessibility and make it easier to move between shops, services and public spaces, helping to reduce car dominance and calm traffic.
• Church Street and St Mary’s Gardens will be enhanced as greener, more welcoming public spaces, with improved lighting, seating and places to rest - tree planting and new landscaping throughout the town centre will also improve biodiversity and strengthen connections with nature
• Around 1,272 new homes could be delivered as part of a mixed-use neighbourhood on the shopping centre site, alongside town centre uses and community facilities. This would include a mix of homes for private sale, private rent and social and affordable housing, helping to support a balanced and inclusive community. The majority of buildings would be low to mid-rise, with most around three storeys and some taller buildings of up to around 12 storeys in appropriate locations, designed to reflect the existing scale and character of Eccles and sit comfortably within the heart of the town.
• Proposals for a mixed-use community hub that can change and adapt over time. This could include a flexible, adaptable space that can host a range of activities at different times such as community events, performances, exhibitions, family activities and, on occasion, pop-up stalls or temporary offers.

A four-week community conversation has now launched to seek feedback on the plans for the town centre and the interventions that have been developed as part of the draft masterplan. A number of events are being held where the local community will have an opportunity to speak with the project team about the proposals and to share their views. This includes a live public webinar on Wednesday 11 March, from 6pm to 7pm, and two drop-in events at Eccles Town Hall on Saturday 14 March, from 10am to 2pm, and Wednesday 18 March, from 3pm to 7pm.  

Ahead of launching the community conversation, John Searle, Deputy Chief Executive (Executive Director of Place) at Salford City Council, said: 

“Eccles has so much potential that can be unlocked to benefit the town’s residents, visitors and workers, and I am so pleased to see these plans come forward at pace.

Insights from the initial community conversation late last year have helped the team to craft the developing masterplan, and it is vital that the community continue to be involved in shaping the next phase.

This is a rare opportunity to come together and help guide the long-term future of the town centre and I encourage all residents, visitors, businesses and stakeholders to get involved and have their say.”

Alex Vogel, Senior Development Manager at Muse, added:

“We want to ensure that Eccles is a place that people genuinely want to spend time in and where local businesses thrive. Muse is proud to be working alongside Salford City Council to help unlock this lasting, positive change.

While the masterplan is still at an early stage and more detail will come later down the line, it builds on the strong foundations already established through extensive conversations with the local community last year.

The voices of people who live here, visit here and work here are key, and we want as many people as possible to get involved and tell us what they think as the plans continue to take shape”.

The community conversation begins on Wednesday 4 March and runs for four weeks until Tuesday 31 March.

Details of the full programme of events can be found on the Eccles Town Centre website.