Trafford and GMCA plot major mixed-use project
More than 750 homes, a hotel, offices and a food hall all feature in early plans for the redevelopment of the former GMP headquarters off Chester Road.
Trafford Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority are now seeking approval to form a joint venture with a developer to bring the project forward.
The nine-acre site, part of Trafford’s Civic Quarter Action Plan, is owned by the GMCA and located next to White City Retail Park. It has been vacant since the police force relocated to a new £60m facility in Newton Heath in 2012.
A GMCA report said the gateway site “offers a great opportunity to deliver development in Greater Manchester that reflects the aspirations of both GMCA and Trafford Council”.
The combined authority appointed Buttress Architects to undertake a scale and massing appraisal for a residential led mixed-use scheme that could feature:
- 758 apartments, townhouses and live/work units, 25% of which would be affordable
- A 112-bedroom hotel
- 10,000 sq ft of offices
- 62,000 sq ft of commercial space
- An 11,000 sq ft food hall
Trafford and the GMCA are hoping to appoint a development partner for the project next April.
Early soft market testing for the opportunity has been carried out with seven developers expressing an interest in partnering up.
Addleshaw Goddard is providing the public sector partners with legal advice on the formation of the joint venture.
Next Friday, the GMCA will meet to approve the plan to create a joint venture with Trafford and a developer and sign-off £642,500 to progress the project through planning. Trafford is also being asked to contribute £642,500.
The wider 135-acre Civic Quarter Masterplan could feature more than 4,000 homes, 500,000 sq ft of employment space, and a reimagined White City Retail Park.
Notable projects coming forward in the area include Bruntwood’s Lumina Village, a scheme similar to that proposed at the former GMP HQ.
Last year, Bruntwood won outline consent for 750 homes, up to 200,000 sq ft of offices, a primary school and a 100-bedroom hotel.
Investar Property Group’s Tim Groom designed Botanical Gardens also falls within the masterplan area. That project will see 149 apartments delivered on the corner of Talbot Road and Botanical Avenue.
Its a shame they can’t use the opportunity to sort out the roads in that area – the junction of Seymour Grove / Talbot Rd, the connections to the roundabout. The traffic flows could be greatly improved whilst there is vacant land / redevelopment.
By Allotmentlad2
It will be good to see this vacant pdl site redeveloped but its history is not a great endorsement for PfE’s claim of rapid development of pdl sites when it will takes north of 10 years for a planning application to come forward since this site went vacant.
By Just sayin