Peel L&P prepares to start work on Trafford Waters

Plans have been submitted for the first phase of infrastructure work at Trafford Waters, a mixed-use development in TraffordCity, Greater Manchester, which will see up to 3,000 homes, a primary school and almost 20 acres of new public open space built over the next 15 years.

Peel L&P has submitted a reserved matters planning application to Trafford Council this week to create roads, tree-lined footpaths and cycleways and the first acre of public green space at the development.

The phase one infrastructure work will provide access to Trafford Waters via Trafford Way and Redclyffe Road connecting the site to Peel L&P’s wider TraffordCity retail and leisure destination, Bridgewater Canal, RHS Garden Bridgewater and the Salford Greenway.

Unlocking £4.08m of funding

The work will also unlock £4.08m from Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), match-funded by Peel L&P, to provide part of the infrastructure to support the development of the first 350 mixed-tenure homes.

As part of the Western Gateway Infrastructure Scheme (WGIS), Peel L&P has already invested £30m to improve transport routes to Trafford Waters and TraffordCity with the construction of the new A57 dual carriageway lifting bridge which connects the Salford side of the Manchester Ship Canal to Trafford. Public sector funding including financial support from Salford Council also helped to build the bridge.

A sustainable mixed-use community

Trafford Waters will transform a 55-acre site that sits between The Trafford Centre and Manchester Ship Canal into a sustainable mixed-use community including residential, retail & leisure, offices, a primary school, community facilities, green space and public realm.

The development proposals for Trafford Waters include a Central Park with large play spaces which will form the heart of the development surrounded by four distinct areas to complement the natural characteristics of the site. One of these zones is an Urban Village served by a network of well-connected open spaces and a central boulevard.

The Trafford Waters masterplan, which received outline planning permission from Trafford Council in 2018, also features:

• A Commercial Hub as an office, retail and leisure quarter with a main square and plaza acting as a key arrival destination for pedestrians and public transport users.
  
• A public realm area by All Saints Church with a traditional village green which could be used for community events.
  
• New wetlands, trees and green corridors throughout the site to improve biodiversity, encourage wildlife and tackle climate change.
  

Trafford Waters is one of Peel L&P’s seven waterfront regeneration schemes across England and Scotland under its newly named Peel Waters portfolio with 30,000 homes, 10 million sq ft of commercial space and circa 160 acres of public realm over the next 20 to 25 years.

James Whittaker, Peel L&P’s Executive Director for Development said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be getting close to starting the first phase of our Trafford Waters development and this infrastructure work is really important in creating a sustainable pedestrian-led scheme.

Creating places that bring enjoyment and health and wellbeing benefits to communities

“As well as providing much-needed homes and supporting regional economies, our Peel Waters regeneration schemes are about creating places that bring enjoyment and health and wellbeing benefits to communities and the Trafford Waters masterplan is centred around a network of public realm and green spaces while making the most of the area’s natural surroundings.

“Its location is also ideally situated for job opportunities at TraffordCity in addition to serving the needs of residents in Manchester city centre, MediaCity and other parts of Salford and Trafford, adding to the 18,000 jobs already created in TraffordCity over the last 20 years.”

Cllr James Wright, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration added: “This proposed scheme supports a number of our commitments including the building of more homes and developing a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly future for our communities.

Hundreds of new jobs being created over the next few years.

“It’s very exciting to imagine that this area could have 3,000 new homes, a primary school and 20 acres of public open space. If the scheme is approved, we could also see hundreds of new jobs being created over the next few years.”

Other Peel Waters sites include Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters alongside the River Mersey and docks; Manchester Waters, MediaCity at Salford Quays; Chatham Waters in Kent and Glasgow Waters.