Greater Manchester locals are urged to have their say on the design plans for the region’s massive new £250 million wellness resort.
Ahead of the plans being formally submitted to Trafford Council in just a few weeks time, developers are now asking the public to view and comment on a new design for the “game-changing” Therme Manchester.
In case you didn’t know, Therme Manchester will be the UK’s first city-based wellness resort.
Dubbed an ‘urban oasis’, and spanning a whopping 28-acres opposite the Trafford Centre and Trafford Palazzo, Therme Manchester is being built by global developer and operator, Therme Group, alongside Manchester-based developers Peel L&P, and is gearing up to be “a beacon for the North West” – with a wide range of attractions for all ages and budgets forming part of the plans.
You can now have your say on plans for Manchester’s ‘game-changing’ new £250m wellness resort / Credit: Therme Manchester
Greater Manchester’s first all-season urban beach, and an indoor waterpark with dozens of water slides, thermal pools, spas, and saunas and steam rooms, are just some of the attractions in the works, as well as an education centre, and so much more.
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There’ll be a strong focus on health, wellbeing, and sustainability once the resort opens.
Therme Manchester will be the UK’s first city-based development of its kind / Credit: Therme Manchester
Since the concept of the development was first unveiled to the public back in 2020, developers say they have already implement a series of design improvements in a bid to provide “better access for the large number of expected visitors”.
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According to developers, the project has moved from being principally a single building with an undulating roof line, to a more “pavilion-style concept” with separate connected structures that are “immersed and enveloped” in a natural landscape.
Some of these design improvements include creating three separate entrances for people arriving from all directions, a new landscaped green boulevard for those travelling by car, as well as new on-site parking places that will be “concealed in nature”, and better access for cyclists and those arriving on foot via public transport.
There’ll be a strong focus on health, wellbeing, and sustainability once the resort opens / Credit: Therme Manchester
“Therme Manchester will have a transformative impact on the city and individuals,” Stelian Iacob – Senior Vice President and CEO of Therme Group UK – said as the public consultation opens.
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“The Therme experience is designed around physical and mental wellbeing.
“Human contact with water, steam, fresh air and nature is optimised in an environment that sets itself apart from the pressures of daily metropolitan life [and] we are confident that Therme Manchester will be a catalyst for a wave of local urban development that, over time, will bring new homes and jobs and will create opportunities for the wider area.
“As such, we hope that our project will act as an urban anchor and a destination that gives a fresh identity to this area of the city.”
Therme Manchester, the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort in @TraffordCity, is inviting the public to view and comment on a new design which would also include an English meadow inspired urban wellbeing garden at its centre.
If the plans are approved, the £250 million construction of the resort will begin later this year.
Featured Image – Therme Manchester
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Microdot exhibit for BRITs 2026: the artwork of Oasis, Verve and more up in Manchester Piccadilly
Danny Jones
If you’ve passed through Manchester Piccadilly of late, you might have noticed two things: one, it’s really quiet, and two, there’s loads of cool Britpop merch and memorabilia on display, including original Oasis, The Verve, Inspiral Carpets art and more – all courtesy of Microdot.
Set up as part of the city’s own BRITs celebrations, along with a raft of other nationwide festivities, as the annual music award ceremony prepares to make its Manc debut at the Co-op Live this month, the showcase features special edition frames and more, all pride of place in the middle of the train station.
This collection, simply entitled ‘A Microdot Design’, is all done by the legendary Brian Cannon, the graphic designer and art director behind so much recognisable visual material within the genre.
We recently had the honour of speaking to the man himself in person ahead of Piccadilly’s temporary closure; you can see our interview with him right here:
The Wigan-born artist and visionary didn’t just make promotional materials for some of the biggest bands in the 1990s; he’s responsible for what has gone on to become some of the most familiar iconography in British music history.
With this pop-up exhibit available for a limited time only, we strongly urge you to go along and, for once, take your time rather than rushing around the station as you peruse the boards placed right near the main entrance.
Charting his work from circa 1990 up until now, it’s crazy to see just how many of Brian and Microdot’s fingerprints are all over so many different bands and artists.
From native names like Oasis, The Verve and the Inspirals, as mentioned, as well as the likes of Cast, Super Furry Animals, Suede and Ash, plus so many more, this guy has been nothing short of prolific over the past few decades.
Audio North took a little tour of the King Street South unit last year in the lead-up to Oasis Live ’25 reunion world tour, and we felt like kids in a Britpop sweetshop.
While this site has sadly since closed, shutting up shop back in July, Brian’s mini, modest, but nevertheless magic Microdot Boutique up in the Lake District is still standing.
Located in the popular North West town and tourist attraction, Kendal, it’s worth a trip there to see more of his portfolio alone.
Currently on display at Manchester Piccadilly ahead of the full 2026 BRITs Week and shindig at Co-op Live, it’s one of the best completely free things you can do in town at the moment – but the exhibition finishes on Sunday, 1 March, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Speaking of the BRIT Awards, if you’re wondering what else is on as 0161 gets ready welcome them for their two-year stint (at least), look no further…
Two brothers from Oldham are beating out the likes of Taylor Swift in the iTunes charts
Danny Jones
A pair of brothers from Oldham who simply go by Two Connors are now holding on to the top spot in one of the biggest iTunes charts, and they’re beating the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny and many more.
Stuff your global music stars, we’ll back a duo from Greater Manchester all day long.
Danny and Callum Connor, a couple of blokes from Oldham in their mid-30s, are currently number one in the iTunes singles charts with their latest song, ‘Familiar Faces’, but this isn’t the first time they’ve gone big with a release online.
Carving out their own little corner not only in the old Lancashire borough but a small pocket in the UK’s wider grime, drill, rap and hip-hop scene, they’ve only gotten bigger over the last 18 months or so.
After releasing their first two tracks back in 2024, Callum and Danny have been on a very gradual rise, but they quickly gained a cult local following in and around Oldham.
Writing about life and around the area, with high personal and anecdotal lyrics that feel like niche references and in-jokes specifically for‘Roughyed’ residents – it’s not just music by them but FOR them.
In addition to recording their own unique cover of ‘Bad Habits’ by Ed Sheeran, they also went fairly viral for releasing a music video featuring crowds of local children.
Putting their own chant-based chorus slant on ‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho, “It’s off to Work We Go”‘, written by Mitch Miller and The Sandpipers (yes, as in the main theme from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), it was a fairly radio-friendly tune that was easy for kids and more to sing along with.
With various other natives getting involved in the music video, joining them on the town centre streets and lip-syncing the lyrics, it was circulated online all over Britain and beyond.
You can watch it in full down below.
Fast forward to February 2026, and not only have they grown their following across the region, but even further afield now, as it turns out; currently sitting ahead of ‘Opalite’ from worldwide smash-hit album, The Life of a Showgirl, who needs big label backing, eh?
Bringing smiles to even more Greater Mancs by quite literally shining the spotlight on ‘Familiar Faces’ and punters from nearby pubs such as The Up Stepps Inn and former nightclub Sruples, it is a real tribute to their homeland.
Only time will tell how long they’ll cling to that iTunes top spot, but with nearly 73,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and counting, they might be one of the biggest music names to come out of OL in some time.
In other big news over in Oldham, on the sporting side of things, RLFC are staring down yet more uncertainty, with local hero Bill Quinn also wrapping up his time at the club.
Emily Sergeant -
13th June 2023 
