Ice rink arena to be built in Trafford

A new ice rink with a 3,000 seater arena and an events venue is to be built close to the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester.

It will be constructed on the former Soccer Dome site in Trafford City, and will become the home of Manchester Storm ice hockey team, which will relocate from Altrincham Ice Arena.

The ice rink will offer ice skating, as well as hosting concerts, screenings, immersive experiences and ice hockey games, the developer Peel Waters said.

Managing director James Whittaker said he was "sports mad" and so was excited "about combining all those sports and leisure facilities together".

The arena will be built next to The Snow Centre, Trafford Golf Centre, David Lloyd, Fives Soccer, iFLY and The Padel Club.

"We want to make Trafford City the best destination for retail and leisure in the world," Whittaker told BBC Radio Manchester.

"So in Trafford City, we want to see every type of sport happening - skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, golf, health and fitness, paddle tennis."

He added: "We just opened up 11 courts, ice skating, the running and cycling and swimming. You know, so we want to have all that within Trafford City.

"Lastly, still on the radar is an outdoor surf concept - we're still working on that."

The rink has secured Planet Ice as its main tenant and also included in the plans are family restaurants, bars and "VIP areas".

Trafford Councillor Liz Patel said the local authority was "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".

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