Plans have been submitted for a £60m surfing lagoon in Greater Manchester.
The former container-base site at TraffordCity could be transformed into a world-class surfing facility, following McKinney Group’s submission to Trafford Council.
Alongside the surf lake, there will be space for a café-restaurant terrace, pop-up beach bars, surf shop, and changing facilities.
If approved, the lagoon will be powered by Wavegarden, the world leader in man-made, wave-generating technologies.
‘85% of feedback expressed support’
Billy McKinney, managing director at the Belfast-based McKinney Group, said: “We are really excited to have submitted our plans to Trafford Council, off the back of months of discussions with the local community, stakeholders, and planning officers – and, of course, our online consultation at the start of the year.
“We want to thank everyone who got involved with our consultation and let us know what they thought of our plans to deliver the north west’s [England] first inland surfing facility, and we are delighted that over 85% of all feedback received expressed support for our proposals.
“TraffordCity already has a huge and growing leisure offer and we are looking forward to bringing something new to the area that is thrilling, interactive and accessible to be enjoyed by surfers of all abilities.
“We await our application coming before Trafford Council and look forward to getting people on the waves by 2023.”
The site in TraffordCity, owned and managed by Peel L&P, includes The TraffordCentre and its surrounding 3.5m square feet of retail, leisure, and office space.
James Whittaker, executive development director at Peel L&P, said: “It’s fantastic to see the plans for this unique and world-class facility move forwards, following the public consultation period.
“At Peel L&P, we’re committed to investing and developing TraffordCity for the benefit of the local community and economy.
“Our partnerships with developers and leisure businesses, such as McKinney Group, continue to enable us to make the TraffordCity one of the most experiential retail and leisure destinations in the UK.”
The £60m scheme will be located on Peel L&P’s brownfield site on Barton Dock Road, Trafford Park, and will be the first in-land surfing facility to open in the north-west of England.
The lagoon could open as early as 2023.
Image: CGI projection of the proposed surfing lagoon in Greater Manchester. Credit: Leslie Jones Architecture/Exterior Architecture
Read next: Robertson Construction adds facial recognition tech to National Robotarium