Work has started on more than 3,000 homes, a primary school, offices, hotels and 20 acres of public open space at Trafford Waters.

Representatives from Homes England and Trafford Council joined developer Peel L&P at the site between the Trafford Centre and the Manchester Ship Canal to celebrate breaking ground on the first phase of infrastructure work.

A grant from Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund match-funded by Peel L&P has helped to unlock work on the first 350 mixed-tenure homes by providing financial support for new roads, public realm works and services to be built for the development.

Pauline Schaffer, interim director of infrastructure grants at Homes England, said: “We are committed to working with ambitious local authority partners seeking to meet their local housing needs with the support of key infrastructure.

“This funding will enable Peel L&P and Trafford Council to create vital travel links and public realm to support the development of new homes in this exciting development.”

Trafford Waters will take around 20 years to complete and bosses say it will transform a brownfield site with a range of homes to suit different needs, including affordable housing, new retail and office opportunities, community facilities, green space and public realm.

The phase one infrastructure works will include tree-lined footpaths and cycleways and the first acre of public green space at the development. It will connect Trafford Waters via Trafford Way and Redclyffe Road to Peel L&P’s wider TraffordCity retail and leisure destination.

Wider development proposals for Trafford Waters include a central park with large play spaces which will form the heart of a new community surrounded by four distinct areas to complement the natural characteristics of the site.

James Whittaker, Peel L&P’s executive director for development said: “Trafford Waters will significantly transform the area into a new mixed-use sustainable waterfront community with much-needed homes to meet a mix of needs as well as creating more jobs and investment opportunities for the area.”

The Trafford Waters masterplan received outline planning permission from Trafford Council in 2018 and planning permission for the infrastructure works was recently received.

Trafford Council’s executive member for economy and regeneration Cllr Liz Patel said: “This is a fantastic scheme which will lead to the creation of a brand new community made up of 3,000 homes, a school, offices, hotels and public open space. It will completely transform the area and create much-needed housing in a beautiful waterfront development.

“Trafford Council has supported and enabled this project from day one and we look forward to working closely with Peel and Homes England in bringing it forward.”