Promenade Park opened at Looping the Loop (From Messenger Newspapers)

Promenade Park opened at Looping the Loop

1:42pm Tuesday 22nd May 2012 in News

PROMENADE Park, a transformed space on the Trafford Quays waterfront, was launched on Saturday by Commonwealth gold medallist Diane Modahl.

Diane opened the park as part of the exciting Looping the Loop event which celebrated the start of London 2012 Olympic Games Time in the north west.

The park has been inspired by the rich industrial history of The Quays and Wharfside. Offering a unique recreational space on the post-industrial landscape, the park draws on international schemes such as High Line Park in New York, built on an historic freight line elevated above the streets of Manhattan.

Promenade Park includes features that reflect the heritage of the area, such as representations of stacked cargo at the working docks, and these features link in with other sculptures already in place on the canalside.

While offering a fun environment for children with a climbing frame, slide and landscape features, the park also provides plenty of canalside green space for visitors to sit and relax.

Leader of Trafford Council, Cllr Matt Colledge, said: "The park provides a fantastic space for the community and visitors to our wonderful waterfront.

"This summer, when Trafford plays host to the London 2012 Olympic Games, people from all over the world will be spending time in the vicinity of Old Trafford Football Stadium and Promenade Park offers the perfect place for them to sit and soak up the atmosphere. It is fitting therefore that the park is officially opened at Looping the Loop, when we celebrate the exciting start to London 2012 Olympic Games Time in our region."

The new park is the latest in a string of improvements at the Wharfside. A new lighting scheme was recently completed at Imperial War Museum, and cycling and pedestrian route signs have been installed as part of the Irwell River Park project, promoting the links between The Quays, Wharfside and the nearby Bridgewater Way.

The Promenade Park project was supported by a number of organisations including Red Rose Forest, Trafford Council and Peel Holdings.

Looping the Loop celebrated the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games Time in the North West and coincided with the beginning of the UK Olympic Torch Relay.

It was a fun-packed afternoon of live music, sport, film screenings, dance and drama performances for all the family taking place around Old Trafford Stadium and the Quays.