Developers Peel Holdings and Red City Developments have been given a date for the planning inquiry into their scheme for a new rugby league stadium, casino, 4-star hotel and retail outlets in Salford. Salford Council is backing the project but Manchester City Council is likely to oppose it, as the plan that is just six miles from the centre of Manchester would compete with its own proposals for an entertainment centre with casino in East Manchester. The original planning application was filed with Salford City Council on 22 April 2003.

Red City Developments was set up in 2001 to help deliver a new stadium for the Salford City Reds Rugby League Football Club. The development project for around 56 acres in the Barton area includes a 100,000 sq ft casino and a 208-room hotel with conference, banqueting and leisure facilities. The stadium will have a 20,000 capacity. In November 2004 Red City Developments and Peel Holdings, a major property and transport company, formally agreed to join forces on the £130 million (US$234.6 million) project. In the previous August Salford Council had declared that the best outcome of all would be for Peel to help City Reds get their stadium, when it agreed a first option deal for a 125-year lease on the council-owned land to Red City Developments.

When it was thought that the UK gaming market would be extensively deregulated with mega casinos around the country, Isle of Capri announced a Heads of Terms agreement with Red City Developments for a regional casino and entertainment complex. With the number of regional casinos presently reduced to just one prototype, it could be considered unlikely that projects in either Salford or Manchester will be awarded the licence for a regional casino. However their councils, and many other councils and developers around the UK, have not entirely given up hope. Should the Barton project get planning permission then it will be passed to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for final approval.
(E-09.20.05)

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