The first stages of a masterplan for Manchester Waters have been presented to the planning team at Trafford council.
Peel Waters has submitted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping request to Trafford, with an anticipated outline planning application due later this year.
The proposal from Peel would see the remaining 25 acres of brownfield land at Pomona Island transformed into a new waterfront district.
The unique 'island' site, situated between the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal, has already seen nearly 600 homes delivered for purchase and rent with X1 and Hestia as part of the initial phases.
An additional 500 homes are slated to commence construction in 2026.
Through a complex process, Peel has also unlocked the potential to transform a key gateway into the site at Cornbrook.
In collaboration with partners Glenbrook and Forshaw Group, 280 homes have been completed at Cornbrook thus far, with another 237 homes, an aparthotel and coffee bar set to begin construction imminently.
The proposed vision for Manchester Waters includes public realm and green spaces on more than half of the site, featuring a new five-acre waterside park, as well as additional new areas for sports and play.
Peel says that with two tram stops flanking the site, Manchester Waters is poised to be one of the best-connected neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester.
Plans are afoot to further enhance this by establishing a network of new footpaths and cycleways, including a promenade along the Manchester Ship Canal, bolstering connections between Manchester and both MediaCity and Trafford Wharfside.
The EIA scoping request, lodged by Turley on behalf of Peel Waters, marks the next phase in the preparation of an outline planning application encompassing the masterplan for the remaining undeveloped land at Manchester Waters. The masterplan envisages approximately 2,600 new homes across a variety of tenures, complemented by new commercial, hotel and leisure space.
The EIA scoping request aims to agree on the environmental topics to be evaluated within the Environmental Statement that will accompany the future outline planning application for the masterplan.
Following initial technical surveys and assessments, a comprehensive public consultation will be started to gather the opinions of the local community and stakeholders on the plans.
As part of the consultation, Peel Waters and their project team will launch a dedicated website and host a live public webinar. Once the consultation concludes, all feedback received will be reviewed prior to finalising the plans and submitting an outline planning application to Trafford council.
Peel Waters development director Leigh Thomas said: "We are excited to bring forward our plans for the next phases of Manchester Waters, which will open up the site to the public for the first time in decades.
"The masterplan is landscape-led, with the creation of new parks and recreation space at its heart. We also feel it's important to keep some of Pomona Island's unique character, so some of the best existing areas of nature and green space will be retained and enhanced.
"The site also provides a fantastic opportunity to deliver the new homes that Trafford and Greater Manchester needs, on brownfield land in a highly sustainable location. With support from partners and stakeholders, over 1,000 more new homes, for people of all incomes and ages, could be completed at Manchester Waters in the next five years.
"We are therefore pleased to submit the EIA scoping request today as it marks another significant step towards delivering the vision for Manchester Waters, and we look forward to sharing our plans with the community and launching our public consultation this summer."
