Plans have been submitted to Trafford Council for a 3,000-capacity, purpose-built sports and ice arena in TraffordCity.
The TraffordCity Arena will be partly let to Planet Ice, which, should plans go ahead, will become one of their biggest venues in the UK.
The purpose-built facility will feature state-of-the-art ice hockey and skating facilities, which will also convert into a multi-use event space suitable for on-and-off-ice entertainment.
Situated next to the Chill Factore, Fives, iFLY and The Padel Club TraffordCity, the 3-acre development will be located on the former Soccer Dome site. The land will be acquired from regeneration specialists Peel Waters, who are the master planners of TraffordCity and who cleared the site in preparation for future leisure developments in mid-2023.
‘Exceptional user experience and hospitality’ will be at the forefront of the operation. Visitors to the arena will be able to choose from several varied and inclusive onsite food and drink offerings, including grab & go options, a stylish family dining restaurant and a high-end sports bar. VIP and corporate areas have been included in the plans as well as private party rooms.
The TraffordCity Arena will boast innovative technology and infrastructure embedded throughout its design to allow other uses of the arena, including virtual reality immersive experiences, small concerts, screenings and live entertainment.
James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters said: “Bringing in the right partners to work with is fundamental to all of our Peel Waters projects and we are very excited to be working in partnership with ICITIES, Planet Ice and Manchester Storm to bring this fantastic new facility and offering to TraffordCity which is widely recognised as the UK’s leading retail and leisure destination.
“We have always had the aspiration to offer a sport for everyone at TraffordCity, whether it’s golfing, skiing, skydiving, football, gym or Padel there is no other destination in the country that brings together everything that’s available here in one place. Through this new arena, we will now be able to offer a wide range of ice-leisure activities for communities to enjoy taking part in or spectating, which in turn will also grow our visitor economy and bring in further investment into the area.”
The new arena at TraffordCity will mean Trafford will have two ice leisure facilities within the borough. The two ice pads will bring the borough up to the standards of competing cities like Sheffield, Nottingham and London, which offer at least two pads. Both Altrincham and TraffordCity will be available for training, playing, coaching and teaching.
The purpose-built facility could provide a boost for the top-flight ice hockey team, Manchester Storm. The club has confirmed they are now in advanced negotiations to play out of the new state-of-the-art facility in TraffordCity, which will be able to accommodate an additional 1,000 fans and spectators in comparison with their current site in Altrincham.
Ryan Finnerty, General Manager of Manchester Storm said: “Manchester Storm are delighted to be in advanced negotiations to be a partner alongside Peel Waters, Planet Ice and ICITIES for the development of TraffordCity Ice Arena”
If planning permission is granted, the estimated build time of the ice-arena and event space will be approximately 12-15 months once construction starts on site
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Mon 9 Jun 2025
