£16m revamp to bring 'new era' for shopping centre

Work has started on a £16m revamp of Salford's "struggling" shopping centre with the changes billed as a "new era" for the site, its director has said.

A GoKarting track and bowling alley are expected to open in Quayside Salford next year as part of the cash injection.

The centre currently has a large number of empty retail shops, with the project hoped to broaden what is on offer, including more experience and activity-based businesses alongside traditional shops.

Ben Hey, asset director at Peel Retail and Leisure, which owns and operates Quayside, said it marked "an important moment" for the shopping centre.

The firm is also making further improvements to its car park and increasing accessibility.

The investment builds on a previous £3.5m boost that brought about Kargo MKT on the ground floor in 2023.

The street food market has been slowly attracting crowds back to the shopping centre, which has been in decline since the pandemic.

"We've seen strong momentum behind the destination over recent years, and this investment builds on that success, creating a significantly enhanced experience for our customers and the wider Salford community," Hey continued.

The plans include turning part of the mezzanine level of the shopping mall into Hyperdrive Karting, a 47,000 square foot (4,366 square metre) electric GoKarting space due to open summer 2027.

The building works have been approved by Salford Council's planning committee.

Meanwhile, a licensing committee has already approved the bowling alley – despite fears by locals it could cause "sleepless nights".

Next autumn, Hollywood Bowl will open its doors in the neighbouring unit, with Darryl Lewis, the managing director of the company agreeing during a licensing meeting in July to reduce opening hours to reduce the chance of any disruption for residents.

The bowling alley will have permission to remain open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 01:00 GMT on New Year's Eve.

The work "brings our plans for a new era of leisure and community-focused retail to life," Hey added.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.