2025 was a defining year for Trafford Waters, as the vision for a vibrant waterfront neighbourhood became a reality. Located on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, the 53-acre site is being transformed into a brand-new community within TraffordCity, that will bring 3,000 new homes, over 100,000 sq. ft of amenity space and a brand-new park to the area.

These are some of the standout moments from 2025:

First Residential Development Completed

The Trafford Waters Care Home officially opened its doors, marking the completion of the first residential development on site. The new 85-bed care home that was developed by Montpelier Estates and built by Rowlinson Construction includes an on-site hair salon, cinema, library and a community bistro café to encourage multi-age interaction and socialising. The completion was both a major construction milestone and a significant achievement in the delivery of this new residential district and community Peel Waters are creating within TraffordCity.

First homes at Trafford Waters completed – Peel Waters

Welcoming the First Residents

A historic milestone for TraffordCity was seeing the very first residents moved into Trafford Waters, signalling the start of a growing community. Following on from the completion, the award-winning care operator Tanglewood have taken over the management to provide exceptional care and support for the residents.

The first resident to move into the Trafford Waters Care Home is 98-year-old George Matrejek, who’s arrival coincided with the same date as the official opening of the new home and symbolises the beginning of a new chapter for Trafford Waters as it moves from constructing developments to building a community.

George, who celebrated his 98th birthday just a couple of days after moving into the Trafford Waters Care Home said: ‘It is a privilege to be the first resident in this home and an honour to move in on the very first day it opened. The team here is amazing and lovely, I don’t know where they got them but well done, I’m very happy here.’

Firsts Residents move into Trafford Waters – Peel Waters

Pearson Place, Affordable Homes Topping Out

The year also saw the topping out of Pearson Place, the first affordable housing development at Trafford Waters, reinforcing Peel Waters’ commitment to inclusive living and offering a housing type for everyone.

L&Q’s development consists of 83, 100% affordable homes available on a rent-to-buy tenure. Once completed, the development that is being built by Rowlinson Construction will offer 1- and 2- bed apartments, all with balconies and split across two blocks. Construction is expected to complete in early 2026.

Topping-out milestone for affordable homes at Trafford Waters – Peel Waters

Looking Ahead to 2026

We spoke to Peter Linstead, our Development Director for Trafford Waters on the projects and milestones he’s most looking forward to in 2026.

“2026 is set to be another exciting year for Trafford Waters, with significant development and construction milestones on the horizon.

Rowlinson Construction is on track to complete L&Q’s Pearson Place development in early 2026, marking the first affordable housing scheme at Trafford Waters. Delivering affordable homes within the first phase is something we’re incredibly proud of. Combined with the elderly and care development completed earlier this year, Trafford Waters is already reflecting the Peel Waters vision of providing a diverse mix of housing across our regeneration schemes.

Following this, X1 Developments will officially begin construction on their first Trafford Waters project: 208 high-quality homes across two striking towers. Peel Waters and X1 have a strong track record of collaboration at Liverpool Waters, Manchester Waters, Chatham Waters, and MediaCity. Their expertise and commitment to quality make them a fantastic partner, and we’re excited to see them bring that to Trafford Waters. Knowing X1, their start-on-site ceremony will be a memorable milestone for everyone involved.

Next year we will also be progressing plans for the next residential developments at Trafford Waters – I’ve had an early look at the designs, and they’re shaping up to be something special.”