Pomona Island, Manchester

Peel owns Pomona Island, a prime 11 hectare waterfront island site located between Manchester and Salford Quays.

Pomona Island, formerly Pomona Docks, was once one of the busiest docks in the world. Pomona’s importance as a major port declined rapidly when the swing road bridge which connects Trafford to Salford Quays was closed permanently. Large ships could no longer navigate into Pomona Docks, only small pleasure craft are now able to pass under the bridge. Three of the original five docks were consequently filled in to form Pomona Island as it is today.

A recently approved development scheme will form part of the transformational landscape. In terms of connectivity, Pomona Island is very well connected to a range of sustainable transport options providing for a highly accessible site that through development will also enhance activity and surveillance on existing routes. This includes access to two Metrolink stations on the site.

Peel has recently obtained planning permission for almost 550 residential apartments on 1.7 hectares that will be accommodated in five landmark buildings adjacent to the waterfront. A masterplan has also been drawn up and approved for the remaining 8 hectares which provides for approximately 3,000 residential units and approximately 65,000 square metres of commercial use.

The masterplan proposes that buildings and spaces are sited to enhance existing views and vistas. The proposals show a hierarchy of frontages generally reflecting the nature and scale of the space or route of the building defining the water frontage (boardwalk), principal street frontages and local street frontages. The masterplan has given significant weight and importance to an appropriate mix of uses which has been created in the Pomona Island masterplan in order to realise the opportunity to present a high quality, vibrant scheme as a gateway development at the Pomona junction. The development of Pomona Island also achieves a number of strategic and local objectives in both regeneration and design and brings this brownfield site back into use. Again fulfilling the requirements of the Ocean Gateway objectives.