Therme Manchester: Planners approve £250m tropical spa resort

Updated plans for a £250m tropical spa resort have been approved.

Therme Manchester - billed as the UK's first "city-based wellbeing resort" - includes swimming pools, slides, warm water lagoons, saunas and gardens.

The German-based Therme Group said the development, next to the Trafford Centre, is scheduled to open in 2025.

Chief executive officer Professor David Russell said: "Our ambition is to make a positive difference in millions of people's lives."

Attractions include large family and adults-only zones designed to benefit mental and physical health.

There will also be water-based fitness classes and therapies, urban farms and educational activities.

The firm has a similar centre in Bucharest, Romania, which attracts 1.2m visitors a year.

In March 2020 planning consent was granted for a previous proposal which expired in March 2023.

Amendments to the scheme approved by Trafford Council include changing from primarily a single building with zones and an undulating roofline, to a pavilion-style concept, a revised location for car parking and enhanced connectivity with public transport.

Council leader Tom Ross said: "The resort will attract millions of visitors each year and will add significantly to the local economy during construction and once operational.

"The development supports several of our key commitments by improving health and wellbeing, providing connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians, creating a new public realm, and regenerating a vacant brownfield site in a sustainable location."

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