TraffordCity Arena will be future home of the Manchester Storm ice hockey team
An artist’s impression of the approved TraffordCity Arena(Image: Icities and AEW Architects)
A new ice rink and concert venue will be built in Trafford. The venue – TraffordCity Arena – will offer ice skating lessons and sessions, as well as hosting concerts, screenings, immersive experiences and ice hockey games with Planet Ice to run the centre.
It will become the future home of the Manchester Storm ice hockey team, which will relocate from their current base at Altrincham Ice Arena. Also included in the plans are family restaurants, bars and ‘VIP areas’.
The ‘state-of-the-art’ rink will to host up to 3,000 people, making it one of Planet Ice’s largest UK venues, and promises to offer a year-round programme of ‘entertainment and community activities’.
It will be built on the former Soccer Dome site in Trafford City, next to The Snow Centre, Trafford Golf Centre, David Lloyd, Fives Soccer, iFLY and The Padel Club.
The rink is not the limit of ambitions for the site, with further development opportunities being considered there. Peel Waters, which is delivering the scheme alongside ICITIES, said it is looking at the possibility of building hotels or more leisure facilities there.
The new venue will join a number of other developments in the area, including the £450m Therme Manchester wellness resort which is currently under construction. Once built, the rink will create more than 50 new jobs in the area.
Construction is expected to start in the spring and take up to 15 months to complete after planning permission was granted.
James Whittaker, managing director at Peel Waters, said: “Securing planning approval for the TraffordCity Ice Arena is fantastic news for the area. This is a significant step in delivering our vision for TraffordCity as a destination that offers something for everyone.
“The new arena will provide world-class ice facilities and enhance our growing portfolio of sport and leisure experiences; attracting new visitors, investment and employment opportunities to the region.”
Nick Payne, director of ICITIES, added: “This approval allows us to move forward with creating a truly unique venue. Our design combines professional ice facilities with flexible spaces for non-ice events, ensuring the arena can serve a wide range of uses and audiences.
“The design includes approximately 20,000 sq. ft of ancillary space for tenants offering complementary food, beverage and leisure facilities.”
Liz Patel, Trafford council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, continued: “Trafford Council is committed to the regeneration of the area and this project will bring a number of important benefits to the borough including the creation of 50 permanent jobs.”
Heath Rhodes, chief operations manager at Planet Ice, said: “As Planet Ice enters its 30th year, we’re delighted to see planning permission granted for this landmark project. Demand for ice facilities in the North West continues to grow, and this arena will help meet that need while delivering first class amenities for visitors. TraffordCity is the perfect location, with excellent transport links and complementary leisure attractions.”