Stanley Square, Sale, for Altered Space, with SimpsonHaugh Architects

Since 2021, 5,500sqm have been redeveloped in Sale’s Stanley Square. Just five miles from Manchester City Centre, 14 new first-floor flex office spaces known as The ClassRooms; as well as updates to the public realm; additional food and beverage space; changes to unit sizes; and a 500sqm nursery have defined the project to date.

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

Architect: SimpsonHaugh Architects

Landscape: Exterior Architecture

M&E Engineer: BDP / S I Sealy

Structural Engineer: BDP / DW Consulting

Cost Consultant: SPC

Branding: StudioDBD

Retail and Leisure Agents: Sixteen / LTL 

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

Situated 5.2 miles southwest of Manchester City Centre, Stanley Square is the beating heart of Sale Town Centre, where residents and visitors come to shop, eat, drink, work, play, congregate and to spend time. However, in 2020, The Square or 6 Acre Square as it was previously known was a failing and uninspiring 1960’s shopping centre with oppressive entrance gates, overbearing canopies, poor public realm, no greenery, numerous void units, a plethora of charity shops and dwindling footfall. Fast forward 4 years to 2024 and following a positive public engagement process leading to a re-brand to Stanley Square and a sensitive, but comprehensive refurbishment (whilst the centre continued to trade) the centre supports 14 new office units, above a mix of independent Food & Beverage operators, alongside an eclectic mix of local independent and national retailers & leisure operators. Footfall has continued to grow, a thriving evening economy has been established and a long list of businesses are waiting to become part of the family that is Stanley Square. Tony Martin the dynamic and passionate centre manager has an open door policy with his office directly opposite “HIYA” Stanley Square’s community Hub which is continually in use. Stanley Square now hosts regular markets including The Makers Market, The Good Market (sustainable goods), Twilight and Rare Finds Flea Market, all bringing many thousands of people into Sale.

How has this place adapted, and how does it continue to adapt, to changing demographics, behaviors, market context, policy, transport habits and the climate crisis? What makes it resilient?

The significant repurposing of the physical environment, including removal of ugly imposing entrance gates and canopies and the introduction of larger, brighter consistent shopfronts and fascias was driven by a desire to attract tenants. The external Mall & Public Square have been widened with new and improved streetscape, seating, cycle stands and greenery introduced with external demised spaces for tenants all proving successful, especially in a post COVID world. Offices have been introduced to redundant first floor space and a purpose-built Childcare facility has recently been completed on the periphery of the site reflecting the move to working locally. The Community Hub “HIYA” is used by many groups including the young, elderly and ethnic communities, all important in Sale. Stanley Square is less than five minutes walk from the local tram allowing visitors to walk and cycle to the centre. With a local catchment of over 50,000, it embodies the aspirations of the “15 Minute City” with many now walking or cycling to work at “The ClassRooms,” our attractive offices created from former redundant first floor retail storage space, as well as the formerly vacant Springfield House, which recently underwent an extensive refurbishment, now accommodating over 120 staff. The successful re-brand from 6 Acre Square to Stanley Square and effective use of media channels has extended the appeal of the centre to a wider demographic, both within Sale and further afield, contributing to Sale being voted the third most attractive place to live in The UK (Sunday Times 2023).

Please share any data or evidence about the social, economic and environmental performance of this place, or any relevant figures such as footfall, visitors, engagement metrics, residents, etc

Stanley Square has been transformed into a mixed-use beating heart of Sale. The ugly imposing entrance gates are gone, opening up the centre to the high street and curating an evening economy focused around an improved Town Square. Footfall & car park usage continues to rise yoy (7% and 25% respectively for 2023 compared to a UK decline of -2.6%). Stanley Square is now fully let (despite COVID & cost of living crises). Over 30 new lettings have been completed since 2020, with over 300 jobs created. 12 new F&B tenants have opened creating a foodie hub for Sale with NOI increasing by over £500k pa (approx. 50%) and private sector investment of c£15m (ROI of 1.5x). Creating an engaged social media following is crucial, centred around shop local, stay local, supporting the local community and sharing community news. Content is intentionally centred around community news, values, fostering a sense of connection between Stanley Square and followers. To ensure inclusivity, content is created that engages a diverse demographic, with messaging that resonates with everyone. This has resulted in a substantially increased follower count and overall reach. The last three years have seen 335% and 420% growth rates in Facebook and Instagram followers respectively. Average reach on both Facebook and Instagram in 2020 was 20k compared to c150k now. Circular economy principles were embraced, and a conscious effort was made to retrofit and reuse as much of the original building fabric as practically possible, whilst improving EPCs to B rating.