TRAFFORD Housing Trust broke the ground on a new three acre £20m development in Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford.

The event marked the official start of work on the multi-purpose community ‘hub’ incorporating a bistro café, a pharmacy, health care facilities, a public library, multi-function activity hall, a day nursery and sports changing rooms.

Another major component of the scheme will be 81 Extra-Care apartments and facilities which will provide older and more vulnerable people high quality accommodation with an emphasis on independent living.

The Trust is also working with the local community to develop a number of social enterprises due to be based at the development.

St. Bride’s Church will be demolished and rebuilt as part of the redevelopment.

Reverend Peter Matthews, Rector of St Bride’s joined representatives of the Trust, Trafford Council, contractors Willmott Dixon and the NHS on Monday, March 23 to mark the start of the scheme.

Matthew Gardiner, Chief Executive of Trafford Housing Trust, said: “Trafford Housing Trust is ten years old this year and the transformation of Shrewsbury Street is a great example of the investment, vision and commitment we continue to bring to the borough.

“The scheme will bring a real sense of identity and place to Shrewsbury Street and adjacent neighbourhoods, and the new facilities will form the centrepiece of the Trust’s long-term masterplan for the wider Old Trafford area.”

The Shrewsbury Street project forms part of the wider Old Trafford Master Plan, being led and delivered by Trafford Housing Trust in partnership with Trafford Council.

The scheme received almost £3.1m of Department of Health funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The master plan is expected to complete in summer 2017 and aims to use physical regeneration as a catalyst for wider social cohesion and economic growth.

Trafford Council’s executive member for economic growth and planning, councillor Michael Hyman, added: “This is a really exciting milestone to reach in the project and we are thrilled that work has begun on site, it will not be long before local people start to see some real changes taking place.”