Peel plans 300,000 sq ft grade A offices

PEEL Group has submitted plans for 300,000 sq ft of grade A offices and a 150-bed hotel close to the Trafford Centre.

It wants to develop the former Kratos site on Mercury Way, off Barton Dock Road.

In 2009 Trafford Council gave consent for a similar scheme without the hotel element.

According to a planning statement Peel has secured interest from an unnamed hotel operator which, “has given the redevelopment proposals fresh impetus”.

“Peel consider that the inclusion of the hotel strengthens the proposals for the site, not only by securing an operator but also in enhancing the mix of uses and the contribution of the site to the overall vitality and economic health of the Trafford Centre Rectangle.”

The statement added: “The proposals seek to promote a development which is hallmarked by high quality design and construction both in relation to the buildings and the surrounding public realm. The types of businesses seeking grade A office space, of which there is very little currently existing in Trafford, are very demanding in terms of the quality of the space, general environment and supporting facilities.

“To meet these expectations it is proposed that the buildings will be thoroughly modern in design and will complement and contrast with the more classical style of the nearby Trafford Centre and Barton Square developments. The aspiration is to set a benchmark for future development elsewhere in the Trafford Centre Rectangle.”