Work on the highly anticipated spa project making waves in Trafford has finally started and with buzz for the project building ever since its announcement in 2020, Therme is without a doubt one of the biggest coming to Greater Manchester.
Located right next to The Trafford Centre, this £250 million spa and wellbeing complex is proposed not only to create more than 5,000 jobs and span a total of 28 acres but will also be the biggest of its kind anywhere in the UK.
Set to be delivered by the global wellbeing leader, Therme – who have nine sites in total four of which are operational and five of which are in development, including two in the UK – it’s a development that’s been watched closely at every stage.
It might still be early days but here’s what the large plot looks like at the moment:
The Manchester spa resort will be erected here.Hard to picture right now, we know.Enabling works have begun to clear the land and underground obstacles ahead of construction starting. (Credit: Rule 5 – supplied)
Opening destinations in both Glasgow and Manchester as well as across the globe, the Therme Group is making its resorts accessible to people wherever and whenever they need them.
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The Manchester site, which is replacing the prior EventCity, is set to hold over 25 specific areas, 15 waterslides, 10 pools and plenty more.
These areas and rooms all boast wellbeing benefits ranging from saunas and health areas to steam and snow rooms – even multi-sensory showers, whatever that means.
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Inside the massive health and well-being building, the temperature will be kept at a constant 33 degrees all year round using advanced technology to preserve the heat.
At the Manchester resort, the grounds are set to contain warm water lagoons, botanical gardens and palm trees, giving the site a real tropical feel. Now enabling works have officially started, the path towards seeing CGIs like these brought to life feels more real:
Throughout the location, wireless RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology will be used to make payments for vendors, retailers and food inside the retreat on the fly.
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It sounds like an arbitrary thing to note initially until you learn that this all works through individual bracelets which are directly paired with lockers in the venue to ensure purchases and belongings are kept safe and secure.
But what exactly has been done so far? Well, following full approval last year, an initial 200-metre borehole has now been drilled on the site next to the Greater Manchester shopping centre, meaning the spa resort build is underway at last.
Once started, construction is set to be completed within the next 24-30 months. Therme is eventually hoping to have a destination available within a 90-minute commute for all UK residents. It also looks set to have a similar and super exciting neighbour at some point in the future too.
No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Thomas Melia -
19th October 2024 
