It was April 1st so we thought this was an April Fool's gag but it seems that the tardis really was in Salford Quays:

Doctor Who fans had a chance to meet the new star of the show, just days before he appears in his first full episode. Matt Smith was seen briefly at the end of the last series after the Doctor regenerated. The new series starts on Saturday but hundreds of children in Salford had a chance to see the first show, Eleventh Hour, at the Lowry theatre. They also met his assistant Amy Pond, played by Karen Gillan, after the Doctor’s Tardis appeared at Salford Quays. Matt, 27, the youngest actor to play the Doctor, said: “It’s great to be in Salford where we have had an amazing reception. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the kids here.” He described his role as the ‘coolest job in the world’. (Manchester Evening News, 1 April 2010)

If the Doctor is looking for an apartment in Salford Quays, we would be happy to advise!