Therme Manchester: The UK's first city-based wellbeing resort takes shape

A visionary project that will transform TraffordCity into a sustainable urban 'wellness hub'.

By Manchester's Finest | 6 March 2023

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It’s often said that Manchester has everything – except a beach. Well, now it’s getting one. New footage has been released showing the completed demolition of EventCity to make way for Therme Manchester – a new £250m development in TraffordCity, which will be the UK’s first city-based “wellbeing resort”.

The 28-acre site, located opposite Trafford Palazzo and The Trafford Centre, will house a range of attractions for all ages and budgets, including an “all-season urban beach”, a next-generation indoor waterpark, and thermal pools and spas.

Regeneration business Peel L&P has now finished clearing the 28,000 sq metre former EventCity conference and exhibition centre at its TraffordCity site on Barton Dock Road in preparation for the flagship development. It’s the first Therme to be built in a UK city.

Therme Manchester’s next generation waterpark area, including living waterslides

Therme Manchester is being built by global developer and operator of state-of-the-art wellbeing destinations, Therme Group, which has seen success with similar resorts across Europe over the past 20 years. The CGI images of the glass domed complex look like the pictures of heaven in those booklets handed out by Jehova’s Witnesses – almost too good to be true.

The development’s economic impact is estimated to be worth £4.5bn to the region, including the creation of 1,200 jobs. With a strong focus on health, wellbeing, and sustainability, Therme Manchester claims it could save over a million hospital admission days per year. A strong claim indeed.

Plans for an education centre at Therme Manchester are also in the works, which will provide an opportunity for schools and community groups to learn about nature and sustainability.

Therme Manchester will include an all-season urban beach.

Access to local cycleways and paths will be improved, including to the neighbouring Bridgewater Canal, and the Metrolink now stops close to the site of Therme Manchester. Therme says it is committed to maximising these elements as it looks to encourage both active and sustainable connectivity with the city and nearby areas to encourage the concept of “Wellbeing Cities”.

James Whittaker, Peel L&P’s Executive Director of Development, said: “Therme Manchester is a landmark development for the North and something the UK has never seen before. It’s incredibly exciting to see the land being prepared to welcome the resort to TraffordCity, and we’re proud to help bring such an amazing attraction to the North West which we know will be enjoyed by so many people across the country, whether it’s for a fun family day out, relaxation, or educational trips.”

Richard Land, Chief Development Officer of Therme Group UK, said: “We are delighted to see the demolition works complete. It is fantastic to see the site cleared and showing its amazing potential to be a global wellbeing destination. It defines a key milestone for us as we continue our journey to bring Therme to Manchester, a perfect location for our first facility in the UK.”


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