Salford mayor Paul Dennett has called for a new masterplan for the future of a major shopping centre in the city.
Salford Shopping Centre in Pendleton, known locally as Salford precinct, is home to a mix of shops as well as food and drinks outlets, with annual footfall of around 6.5m visits a year according to its owners, Praxis Holdings.
Salford's mayor said he wants to see the council and landowners work together to create a new blueprint for the site's long-term future.
"I think a lot more needs to be done in and around there by the owners of the precinct to actually come forward with a masterplan or a proposition for how we collectively move forward here," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
"We have invested large sums of money in and around the precinct, if you look at some of the infrastructure that we've put in, the pavements, the bus stops, we have our credit union there, there's a new youth zone very close to there.
"For me there's a huge opportunity here to start to join up the dots and hopefully work together."
The city mayor stressed the importance of Salford precinct's affordable shops, calling it an 'absolute hub' in the community.
Praxis Holdings were approached for comment.
Big changes are on the way in Pendleton, with the government recently announcing the area could get up to £20m of funding over the next ten years as one of several 'trailblazer' neighbourhoods across the country.
This could provide a stream of new investment into the community, aiming to make sure that 'places that have been too easily left behind are no longer ignored.' The £13m Salford Youth Zone has also opened nearby, with new facilities for Salford's young people.
However, there are concerns about the number of people in Pendleton who are struggling to get by. In July, local people told the LDRS they were worried about visible signs of poverty on the streets around the shopping centre, including homelessness.
Pendleton native Lynn Hignett said more investment in the community is desperately needed.
"I've lived here all my life and a lot of people are struggling," the 53-year-old said. "So many are using the charity shops because they can't afford anywhere else."
