A business breakfast hosted by Trafford Council was a huge success with over 100 people attending to hear speakers including the Chief Executive Officer of Therme, Prof. David Russell.
The free get-together, organised by the Council’s Inclusive Economy and Communities Team, took place in a packed conference room at Imperial War Museum North.
Speakers also included the Council’s Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, talking about large scale regeneration at Wharfside and Strategic Partnership Manager, Mitch Salter, outlining the Trafford Borough Plan. Graham Dixon, Managing Director of Esprit Warehousing and Docks in Trafford Park, was the compere.
Prof. Russell talked about the forthcoming £450m 11-hectare Therme wellness resort, due to complete construction in 2028, with water slides, wave pools, thermal pools bars and restaurants, oxygen tanks, snow rooms and saunas plus one-to-one nutrition, all within a series of interconnected glass pavilions. He said:
“We want to be part of the community; we don’t want to arrive in 2028 like a spaceship. Nobody has ever built a 30-acre wellbeing resort in this country. What we are doing will have some challenges – it’s very different, it’s only one of three in Europe.
“Therme is a piece of social infrastructure, more than a spa and water park. Manchester is a city of firsts so why not have the world’s largest wellbeing resort here?”
Prof. Russell talked through details of the scheme including its carefully-cultivated palm trees and innovative, automated lockers – plus an outdoor rain garden that will celebrate wet British weather.
Richard Roe talked about the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation and its potential to deliver significant change under the Wharfside Strategic Masterplan encompassing the new Manchester United stadium plus leisure opportunities, open spaces and community facilities for residents and visitors. Richard said:
“As a local authority we have multiple jobs but the Mayoral Development Corporation will be focused entirely on delivering regeneration. It will be about matchday and the everyday, football and thriving communities.”
The Council is looking at setting up regular, borough-wide business network meetings as a forum for discussion between the Council, employers and workforces from all sectors.