Huge £250million indoor waterpark with slides, swim-up bars and wave pools is coming to Manchester 

Plans have been approved for a vast new £250million indoor waterpark in Manchester.

The park, called Therme Manchester, is set to open in 2023 and will feature slides, a wave pool and swim-up bars.

Located opposite the Trafford Centre, it is forecast to attract up to two million visitors per year, within five years, making it the most-visited ‘water-based attraction’ in Europe.

The park, which is being billed as the UK’s first ‘city-based wellbeing resort’, will cover 28 acres – the size of 19 football pitches.

In a large family zone visitors will find slides, indoor and outdoor pools, a steam room and ‘exotic palm tree relaxation areas’.

A dedicated adults’ area will have warm-water lagoons among botanical gardens, therapeutic mineral baths and steam rooms and saunas.

There will also be a daily programme of water-based fitness classes as well as yoga and Pilates sessions.

According to the plans, a wide range of wellbeing treatments will also be available as well as advanced body scanners and skilled therapists.

There will also be a range of bars, cafés and restaurants ‘offering everything from snacks and light bites to à la carte service’.

The central focus of the project will be a two-acre wellbeing garden in the shape of a rose.

The developer, the Therme Group, explained: ‘This bio-diverse garden for all seasons will be an evolving work of art, with petal-shaped terraces and beautiful pools and water features. It will act as a focal point for socialising, learning and discovery.’

Meanwhile, the developer says that thousands of plants and trees will be incorporated into Therme Manchester’s natural environment, which will be ‘created by world-leading designers, artists, architects and engineers to achieve the highest levels of experience, quality and sustainability’.

Regarding planning approval, Stelian Iacob, senior vice president of Therme Group Worldwide and CEO of Therme Group UK, said: ‘We are delighted that planning has been approved so we can bring the UK’s first Therme Group city wellbeing resort to Manchester.

‘This will transform life for city residents and people further afield, creating a fun and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all.’

James Whittaker, group development director of Peel L&P, which manages Trafford City, added: ‘The creation of Therme Manchester will bring an accessible, yet world-class health and wellbeing attraction to the people of Greater Manchester and beyond.

‘It will transform Trafford City, bring fantastic employment opportunities as well as bolster the regional economy, including tourism and be a key contributor to the Northern Powerhouse.’

While Andrew Western, the leader of Trafford Council, said: ‘We are delighted that this Therme Group development, the first of its kind in the UK, is coming to Trafford. 

‘It is a huge scheme which will be a fantastic addition to the area and supports several of the Council’s priorities including health and wellbeing.

‘It will bring thousands of jobs to the borough and millions of visitors each year, who will benefit our local economy on a massive scale. We are proud that Therme Group has selected Trafford for this superb development.’