Plans submitted for £60m Manchester surfing lagoon

The former container-base site at TraffordCity could be transformed into a world-class surfing facility for Greater Manchester.

Alongside the surf lake will be space for a café/restaurant terrace, pop-up beach bars, surf shop, and changing facilities.

Powered by Wavegarden, the world leader in man-made, wave-generating technologies, the proposed surfing complex will create consistent waves, perfect for beginners, learners and professionals alike to test their skills.

Billy McKinney, Managing Director at 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 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 Trafford Centre and its surrounding 3.5 million 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.”