Plans have been submitted to Trafford Council for a 3,000-capacity, purpose-built sports and ice arena in TraffordCity, Manchester.

The purpose-built arena will include a state-of-the-art ice rink, multi-use event space and high-end food and beverage.

The TraffordCity Arena will be partly let to Planet Ice, which will be one of their biggest venues in the UK and their 15th Ice Arena 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 cleared the site in preparation of future leisure developments in mid-2023.

ICITIES, the developer of the new and much anticipated TraffordCity Arena secured a major pre-let to Planet Ice to bring their award-winning ice-leisure offer to the UK’s preeminent retail and leisure destination in early 2024. Planet Ice will operate the arena, offering year-round ice activities, lessons and sessions.

Much more than an ice arena

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 high-end sports bar. VIP and corporate areas have been included in the plans as well as private party rooms.

The TraffordCity Arena will have innovative technology and infrastructure embedded throughout its design to allow other uses of the arena being able to host virtual reality immersive experiences, small concerts, screenings and live entertainment.

The new ice-leisure and events destination will further enhance the expanding sport-based leisure and experience offerings Peel Waters have been curating within TraffordCity, which already includes skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, golf, 5 aside football, gym and Padel. Through Peel Waters’ long-term vision for TraffordCity, 17,500 jobs have been created within the destination to date with plans to increase this to 33,000 over the next 20 years.

boost for top-flight ice hockey team

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, supporting aspirations to grow the UK’s interest and talent in ice sports.

The purpose-built facility could provide a further boost for 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, known locally to fans as “The Storm Shelter”. The new ice arena will also include standing sections and encourage interaction and audience participation to add to the electrifying atmosphere the new arena will create for spectators. Planet Ice will also be working with Trafford Council to upgrade the older facility in Altrincham.

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.