Property giant Peel outlines multibillion-pound plans for key TraffordCity site

Manchester-based development giant, Peel, has outlined multibillion-pound plans for its TraffordCity scheme, ahead of the new year.

It says the location is the foremost retail and leisure destination, with 44 million visits a year and employing more than 17,500 staff.

With a further £2.6bn earmarked for further investment over the next 20 years, Peel says there’s an abundance of exciting projects in the pipeline, including the creation of a new £250m health and wellbeing resort.

Trafford Waters is the new sustainable destination Peel L&P is creating within TraffordCity with a range of homes, embracing affordable housing, new retail and office opportunities, hotels, community facilities including a new two-form entry primary school in addition to large swathes of green space and public realm including a new 20-acre public park.

The scheme will take around 20 years to complete and transform the brownfield site, creating 5,000 jobs.

This month, plans were submitted by specialist healthcare provider Montpelier Estates in conjunction with Peel L&P, for a new care facility in TraffordCity to support older people and those living with dementia.

The proposals for an 82-bed, three-storey care home at Peel L&P’s Trafford Waters development within TraffordCity, would also provide specialist dementia care for residents as well as providing a range of facilities including a bistro café, hair salon, cinema, rooftop garden and space for community events, relaxation and exercise.

Work has started to enable the first 350 new homes and public realm at Trafford Waters after a grant of £4.08m from Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, match-funded by Peel L&P helped to unlock work on the first 350 mixed-tenure homes that will deliver new roads, public realm and services for the development.

The phase one infrastructure works will include tree-lined footpaths and cycleways and the first acre of public green space at the development. It will connect Trafford Waters via Trafford Way and Redclyffe Road.

This October, Trafford Housing Trust (THT), part of L&Q, submitted proposals for 83 homes on Trafford Waters within TraffordCity. The development intends to deliver one- and two-bedroom affordable homes for shared ownership, subject to approval from Homes England for grant funding.

Fives Soccer Centres is to launch a next-generation football centre at TraffordCity. Equipped with state-of-the-art, industry-leading technology and world class facilities, the eight larger than standard five a side football pitches are the first in the UK to be approved by the FA.

Each pitch also offers individual player tracking, allowing everyone to analyse and log their performance stats after a game, as well as video match replays and highlights.

Meanwhile, in June this year, Trafford Palazzo has celebrated its one-year anniversary since Peel L&P’s acquisition of the former Barton Square site.

The team has introduced a new placemaking and lettings strategy which has already started attracting several leading brands to Trafford Palazzo. The venue has also become synonymous with creating a programme of community events and activations for all ages, from a month-long wellness activation, a half term extravaganza, a four-week Summer Fest and, more recently, the festive, ‘Christmas on TP Street’.

Trafford Palazzo generates an average of 100,000 visitors a week.

NERF Action Xperience (NAX) indoor entertainment centre is also set to open in Trafford Palazzo.

This year, Manchester-based leisure group Rocafella Leisure successfully secured the rights with global branded entertainment company HASBRO to bring the NERF Action Xperience to the UK.

The very first of these family entertainment centres will open in a purpose built, 35,000 sq ft space in Trafford Palazzo in Summer 2023. Local F&B establishment, Archie’s, will also be opening at Trafford Palazzo within the NAX centre.

High-end, independent Italian food and beverage provider, Matterello, opened its doors to customers in TraffordCity early this summer. Serving up authentic southern Italian cuisine, the 2,454 sq ft unit also features an ‘Instagramable’ gelato bar.

In August, Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian restaurant brand, opened its largest drive-thru restaurant in the UK at TraffordCity. The convenient drive-thru located next to Trafford Palazzo has quickly established itself as a ‘must visit’ stop on any trip to TraffordCity, said Peel.

Upcoming projects include the Therme Manchester Wellbeing Resort.

Therme Manchester

In April, updated designs for Therme Manchester Wellbeing Resort were revealed and work started in September to clear the way for the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort.

Peel L&P submitted plans to Trafford Council to demolish the 28,000 square metre former EventCity conference and exhibition space on Barton Dock Road to make way for the circa £250m flagship Therme Manchester development.

Demolition is expected to be completed by Christmas.

The 28-acre resort, opposite Trafford Palazzo, which will be delivered by Therme Group working in partnership with Peel L&P, will be a ‘next generation’ waterpark and include thermal bathing and a wellbeing spa, in addition to immersive digital art, an on-site urban farm and botanical gardens.

This combination of features highlights Therme’s aim to be far more than just a waterpark and spa, but to create an integrated experience to benefit physical and mental health. It is estimated this development will create in excess of 500 permanent jobs.

Also, Modern Surf Manchester is still on track to come to TraffordCity, which is set to become home to the first surfing lagoon in the region.

The £60m scheme will be located at Peel L&P’s 12-acre brownfield site off Barton Dock Road and could open by 2025 and create a further 100 jobs in the area.

Peel said these proposals will firmly establish TraffordCity as a strategically significant focus for economic growth within Greater Manchester.

With employment expected to rise to 37,7000, and a further increase in 2.5 million visitor a year over the next five years, Peel said TraffordCity will make a significant impact to the Greater Manchester Economy and tourism for the region.