£60m surfing lagoon plan halted after delays

Plans for a £60m surfing lagoon which was due to be built in land-locked Greater Manchester have ground to a halt after three years of delays.

The inland Modern Surf venue was due to open to surfers last year near the Trafford Centre after getting planning permission three years ago.

Different man-made waves were due to be generated for both beginners and experienced surfers.

But the local council said no building work had taken place and property developers Peel Waters admitted it did not have a start date.

An artist's impression of how the surf venue would look by the Trafford Centre

The plans had been approved by Trafford Council but no building work has yet taken place.

A council spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that planning consent was granted for a surf facility in Trafford in 2021.

"But, to date, this has not been implemented.”

Peel Waters confirmed that it had no start date for the site, adding: "We are still working with developers and funders."

The site, off Barton Dock Road in Trafford Park, is due to have a cafe, pop-up beach bars, surf shop, bouldering space and fitness zone.

The surf would be powered by Wavegarden which is a wave-generating technology firm.

Developers previously said the venue would draw more than 350,000 new visitors to the area.