PLANS for the expansion of a Trafford climbing facility will help to develop future Team GB competitors if approved.

The Climbing Depot are looking to change the use of Units N7 and N8 from storage and distribution to enable expansion of the climbing and bouldering centre with the creation of a first floor link bridge between the units at the Central Park Estate on Trafford Park.

The facility is currently used by GB climbers to train and hosts international competitions.

Savills produced the report to council planners, which said: “The British Mountaineering Council accredited the centre as a ‘National Performance Centre’, which has enabled the facility to host prestigious national events and offer ‘World Class’ training for youth and senior GB athletes.

“Further, the centre is looking to host major international events in the run up to Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024, where climbing will become an Olympic sport.

The facility is the UK’s premier indoor climbing and bouldering centre and is a facility that is renowned not only locally and regionally, but also on a national and international scale.

The Savills official added; “The prestige of the facility is therefore significant. However, the current operation is ‘cramped’ by relative standards to the level of equipment within it and the types of events that are held at it.

"The Climbing Depot is therefore seeking planning permission to extend the operation into Units N7 and N8 to the rear of the existing building.

“The principal objective of the proposal is not to substantially increase capacity, but to improve the layout of the existing operation and provide a better environment for users of the facility in order for it to maintain its ‘World Class’ standard facilities.”

It comes after the neighbouring unit has been vacant for five years and it will bring more employment to the area.

The report added: “It is evident from the success and popularity of the existing operation of The Climbing Depot that there is both a need and a demand for such a use in this locality. The proposal merely seeks to expand the existing use, in order to create a more efficient operation.

“In addition to this, the economic benefits of the proposal are significant. The proposal will allow for an increase in employment positions at the site from 27 to 38, following expansion of the building, including a range of positions including instructors, support staff and administerial positions.”