Linear Living has concluded work on phase one of its £34M Trafford Gardens development.

The developer finished the initial phase of the Talbot Road scheme earlier this month, bringing 33 affordable homes to market.

The 33 units have all been purchased by not-for-profit Salford-based housing association, Irwell Valley Homes, who will let them on a rent-to-buy basis.

Phase two is now underway and will add 116 homes for sale, with prices starting from £220,000.

Contractor Linear Design and Construct, an associated company to Linear Living, began work on the ambitious scheme in January 2024. Full completion is expected in late 2025.

Once finished, Trafford Gardens will comprise a mixture of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments across a 13-storey block, as well as a rooftop garden and a private courtyard.

The scheme boasts a prime location that is favoured by owner-occupiers and renters alike, largely thanks to its seamless connectivity to Manchester city centre. The development is situated just 300m from both Old Trafford and Trafford Bar Metrolink stops.

Trafford Gardens falls within the Trafford Civic Quarter masterplan, which aims to revitalise the area surrounding Old Trafford Cricket Ground and create a thriving residential community.

The project team for Trafford Gardens included contractor Linear Design and Construct and Peak Properties, which acted as the advisor and agent for the sale. Other stakeholders included Irwell Valley Homes, The Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Maslow Capital and JDA Architects.

Plans for Trafford Gardens were originally spearheaded by Investar Property Group back in 2020 before it entered administration. Linear Design and Construct were the contractors on the scheme, which was designed by Tim Groom Architects. Linear Living acquired the site in 2023.

Stephen Holmes, CEO of Linear Living, said: “Completing the first phase of such a high-quality residential development in one of Greater Manchester’s most sought-after locations marks a significant achievement for Linear Living.”

“The site’s potential has always been clear to us and we are proud to be delivering a landmark scheme that will raise the bar for residential living in Old Trafford and serve as a benchmark for future developments in the area.”

“We’ve really enjoyed collaborating with Irwell Valley Homes too, delivering such high specification properties for affordable rent. It’s fantastic to hand them over and we’re confident this will be the first of many joint ventures.”

Sasha Deepwell, Chief Executive of Irwell Valley Homes, said: “Our homes at Trafford Gardens are available for rent-to-buy – an important tenure which helps people realise their ambitions of home ownership by providing an affordable interim option. It is a vital stepping stone which empowers people with the means to be able to save up for a deposit which would otherwise be out of their reach.”

“This is a quality development within a prime location, which also has a wealth of future potential as part of the new blueprint for Old Trafford. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved here with our partners and remain committed to delivering more of the affordable homes and services people need to live well across Greater Manchester.”