Salford Quays Flashcards
What is the location of Salford quays
- 350km NW of London
- city in its own right in greater Manchester
- population increase by 15% from 230,000 in 2011 to 270,000 in 2021
- next to the Manchester ship canal
- 225 acre site
Why are there quays at Salford
- textiles hub of the world at one point
- big ships can’t get up the river Mersey (very meandering), Manchester ship canal is deep and straight allowing large ships to sail inland from sea to Salford (construction completed in 1894)
Brief history (population, jobs etc)
- population rise from 12,000 in 1812 to 70,000 within 30 years and by the end of the 19th century it had risen to 220,000
- by 1914, developed one of the largest port authorities in the world accounting for 5% of imports and 4.4% of exports (handling steam locomotives, wool, textile machinery and cotton)-> creating 5000 jobs
- most jobs created were relatively low skill and low-paid
- growth attracted workers, as a result large numbers of houses built to house workers.
Living conditions associated with the quays
- low-paid workers meant houses built were inexpensive and terraced in long rows
- houses small and densely packed(80 per acre)-> initially having no inside bathrooms/toilets
- narrow cobbled streets which meant few vehicles were around, air thick with smoke + pollution from nearby factories
When/why did Salford quays decline
- containerisation - 1950’s use of standardised large containers (convenient & cost effective) = bigger ships that could not fit down the Manchester ship canal
- change in economic activity in the UK (tertiary) - Britain could not compete with cheaper products from abroad = closure of much of its manufacturing industry = loss of thousands of jobs
- heavily bombed in ww2 - by 1960’s some housing areas known as slums -> houses lacking indoor toilets, heating and were overcrowded in poor states of repair
What year did the quays close + what did this lead to
- 1982 -> jobs lost, dereliction warehouses left contaminated and dangerous
- houses fell into disrepair (social problems), vandalism, crime rate increased = turned into one of the most deprived areas in Britain
- with much unemployment, wages fell -> poor health, lower educational attainment and shorter life expectancy
What were the main issues needing fixing by regeneration
- unemployment
- poor quality cramped housing
- poor water quality
- poor transport links
- high rates of deprivation
What year was Salford quays bought by the city council & how was it rebranded
1984
- vast areas of warehouses + factories demolished, cleared for redevelopment
- Lowry building ($64m) interactive art gallery & museum
-media city (BBC & radio 5 live) creating 10,000 new jobs in TV and media
- $90m retail & leisure facility (restaurants, coffee shops, bars & cubs)
- imperial war museum (NORTH) attracts visitors from all over UK & won awards for architecture
- Lowry outlet mall opened with shops restaurants and a soft play centre
- 8000 new apartments built to high standards with quay side views
- 300,000 square ft office space build attracting companies (Kellogg’s, hovis, ford trucks & Konica)
- created 26,000 jobs in research, finance, media, marketing + R&D
New rapid light transit trams (access to city centre) running every 9 minutes
- water quality improvement - 1500 trees planted, paved suitable to runners & cyclists
Positive overview of the redevelopment
- jobs : media city created 10,000 new jobs, 26,000 jobs created in research, finance, media, marketing andR&D
- housing: 8000 new apartments built to high standing with quay side view
- transport: new light rapid transit trams -> access to Manchester City centre every 9 minutes
- leisure facilities: Lowry building ($64m) interactive art gallery + museum, $90m spent on leisure facilities: including restaurants, coffee shops, bars and clubs
- environment: 1500 trees planted, streets paved suitable for jogging, walkers and cyclists -> water quality improved
Negative overview of the redevelopment
- jobs: unemployment remains high in areas of Salford -> wrong sort of jobs created original people were manufacturing sector, new jobs made for tertiary sector
- housing: local population unable to afford new apartments and were displaced to nearby terraced houses, 12,667 children living in poverty (23%)
- transport: trams so accessible people decide to work and shop in Manchester City centre -> some offices remain unfilled
- leisure facilities: should have been invested elsewhere -> Salford rank 22nd most deprived local authority in England
- environment: still rubbish in water -> often plastic bottles, wrappers blown into the water
