Trafford

Fly-through video shows incredible new vision for TraffordCity, including £250m waterpark

Plus a huge in-land surfing lagoon.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th December 2022

A new fly-through video shows what TraffordCity will look like over the coming years, including a surfing lagoon and a huge wellness resort.

The area is set to undergo a major upgrade, with £2.6 billion earmarked for investment over the next 20 years.

Projects in the pipeline include the creation of the £250m Therme Manchester Wellbeing Resort, which will feature 35 water slides, 25 pools, 30 saunas and stream rooms, an on-site urban farm and botanical gardens.

Work has already started on the site, with Peel L&P submitting plans to demolish the 28,000 sq metre EventCity conference and exhibition space on Barton Dock Road.

When it’s complete, the Therme site will span 28 acres and create more than 500 permanent jobs.

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Another major development coming to TraffordCity is Modern Surf Manchester, an in-land surfing lagoon set to open by 2025.

Therme at TraffordCity. Credit: Therme Manchester

The £60m attraction will feature technology that will create consistent waves for all abilities, alongside a cafe, restaurant terrace, surf shop, beach bars, bouldering space and fitness zone.

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TraffordCity already attracts some 44 million visits each year, and is hoping to attract another 2.5 million visitors a year over the next five years.

Fives Soccer Centres is also set to launch a next-generation football centre, with world class facilities across eight larger-than-standard pitches.

The future of TraffordCity. Credit: TraffordCity

The five-a-side pitches offer individual player tracking, as well as video replays and highlights.

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The family-friendly attractions at TraffordCity continue with the NERF Action Xperience at Trafford Palazzo, which will take over a 35,000 sq ft space next summer and will include a branch of Archie’s burger and shake restaurant.

Other food and drink openings include high-end Italian restaurant Matterello, and Tim Hortons with its largest drive-thru in the UK.

You can watch a fly-through of the future of TraffordCity here:

Plans include a new development called Trafford Waters, which will create new affordable housing, retail and office opportunities, hotels, schools and a 20-acre public park.

It’s set to take around 20 years to complete in full, creating 5,000 jobs.

This month, plans were submitted for a new care facility to support older people and those living with dementia by Montpelier Estates – it will include facilities like a hair salon, cinema, rooftop garden and community event space.

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Work on the first 350 new homes at Trafford Water has been funded by a grant of £4.08m from Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, match-funded by Peel L&P.

Phase one will include tree-lined footpaths and cycleways and the first acre of public green space at the development.

Trafford Housing Trust has submitted proposals for 83 homes on Trafford Waters that will be affordable homes for shared ownership.

Featured image: Therme Manchester

Trafford

Tributes pour in following the death of beloved Man United Disabled Supporters’ Association secretary

Danny Jones Danny Jones Chas Banks MUSDA secretary death tributes

Tributes are pouring following the news that Chas Banks, the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association’s (MUDSA) long-serving secretary, has sadly passed away aged 74.

While he may not be a name known to most football fans in Greater Manchester, within the walls of Old Trafford, Chas Banks is just as important as any past player or manager, as his work helping develop disability provision, support and facilities at the club has been crucial for generations of fans.

Having been a part of the vital fan organisation ever since 1997, the year after he became disabled himself, the MUDSA legend and loyal servant “worked tirelessly to improve the experiences of disabled supporters not just at Manchester United but across our game in the years since.

Chas Banks MBE passed away following a short illness and Man United fans, along with those associated with the club, have been sharing tributes to “a true Red” through and through online.

Sharing the news in an official club announcement, United said they were “profoundly saddened by the loss of our longstanding friend.”

Having been attending the Theatre of Dreams since 1957, much of Banks’ life has been spent in and around the club and after being named the MUDSA secretary in 2016, his work with the Supporters’ Trust, Manchester United Foundation and the wider local community has been vital for so many.

“Chas always sought to improve the environment for fans and MUDSA members”, the statement continues; “he helped shape and drive forward the club’s £11 million investment in the stadium’s accessible facilities that created 118 new wheelchair positions and 158 new amenity seats, doubling the capacity of these sections in Old Trafford.

“As part of this project, the South Stand platform and Ability Suite were also upgraded and this is where Chas would often be found on matchdays and where he held many of his famous MUDSA events. 

As for the Disabled Supporters’ Association themselves, they shared a brief but heartfelt statement on their website, expressing their “great sadness” as well as asking fellow Reds to respect his family’s privacy during this difficult time.

They went on to add: “Chas worked extremely hard for MUDSA as well as many other organisations he was involved with and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. This Friday’s MUDSA Annual Dinner would have been Chas’ 25th [anniversary], and it will go ahead in his honour.”

https://x.com/RainbowDevils/status/1851655446911930830

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Club COO Collette Roche added: “This is truly devastating news for all of us at the club who knew and worked with Chas. He was an important figure within our fan community and represented MUDSA with integrity and passion, as well as playing a significant role on our Fans’ Forum for almost a decade.

“Chas was a relentless advocate for the interests of fans with disabilities and played such an important part in driving forward the development of our accessible facilities at the stadium.

“We send our sincere condolences to Chas’s family and friends. The best tribute we can pay to Chas is to continue strengthening the bond between the club and MUDSA and continuing his hard work to make our game accessible for all.”

As a token of observance, a special wreath will be placed in the Ability Suite ahead of kick-off against Leicester tonight (Wednesday, 30 October) by fellow club legend turned ambassador, Denis Irwin, in remembrance of Chas and his great contribution to MUDSA and the United family as a whole.

Rest in peace to an important fan figurehead who will be fondly remembered and whose contribution to disability support at the club will never be forgotten.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — MUSDA/Manchester United

Trafford

Manchester’s major Jurassic World exhibition is sticking around until the new year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The major Jurassic World exhibition that’s been mesmerising Mancs for the past couple of months now is sticking around for a little longer.

After initially launching in Melbourne, and then going on excite dinosaur fans in numerous other cities globally, such as Toronto, Chicago, Paris, Shanghai, Berlin, and now Greater Manchester over at the Trafford Centre, it’s fair to say that Jurassic World: The Exhibition has become a global success.

The official award-winning experience based on the beloved blockbuster film franchise officially roared into the region’s biggest shopping centre back in August.

Billed as being a “family-friendly exhibit of massive proportions”, Manc visitors are able to walk through the iconic Jurassic World gates, explore some richly-themed environments, and encounter a life-sized Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors, and the most fearsome dinosaur of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.

You can imagine what it would’ve been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures, and even interact with baby dinosaurs like Bumpy from the popular animated series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous – which is currently streaming on Netflix.

If all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, the Manchester event even features some additional fan-favourite dinosaurs from Jurassic World that haven’t been at previous exhibitions too.

Manchester’s major Jurassic World exhibition is sticking around until the new year / Credit: Supplied

The exhibition’s run at the Trafford Centre was originally for a limited time only, but now it’s been revealed that its stay has been extended until mid January.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is now open at the Trafford Centre, on the Peel 7 car park opposite John Lewis, up until 12 January 2025, and tickets start from just £13 for children ages three up to 14 – with family and group tickets also available, as well as specially-priced tickets for senior citizens and students.

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Grab yours here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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