Plans for more homes on Manchester's 'lost island'

Plans have been drawn up to build on Pomona Island

Plans to build thousands of new homes on a strip of land once described as 'Manchester's lost island' have been put forward.

Developers Peel Waters, part of the wider Peel Group, outlined proposals for 2,600 flats in a series of new blocks on Pomona Island.

The firm, which has already built 500 homes on the 25-acre site, is urging people to share their views on the plans in a public consultation that runs until 9 October.

The rejuvenated plans come four years after Peel first submitted their designs for the site to Trafford Council.

The project would see 2,600 homes, 35-storey towers, student accommodation and a fifteen-acre 'dockside' park built on the area between Cornbrook and Salford Quays.

The architectural sketches for the project remain largely unchanged since 2021.

The nearly 3,000 homes highlighted in these newest plans will come alongside convenience shops, retail, workspace and a hotel.

'Manchester Waters' sandwiched between Salford and Manchester

Before the island became a disused strip of wasteland, Pomona Island was once home to a blooming garden and a large concert hall.

In the late 19th Century, brothers William and Joseph Beardsley Cornbrook, decided to invest in the leisure industry and created Cornbrook Strawberry Gardens, later named Pomona Gardens which displayed a riverside strip of flower beds, lawns and trees in walking distance from the city centre.

The Royal Pomona Palace - a large concert hall with an 100ft clock tower which hosted several political rallies was built on the site in 1875.

The island has later become home to a diverse range of wildlife and birds.