This is going to be well worth a trip over the Pennines to discover.
A new fly-through video shows what TraffordCity in Manchester will look like over the coming years, featuring a £250m waterpark.
TraffordCity is set to undergo a major upgrade, with £2.6 billion earmarked for investment over the next two decades, reports The Manc.
Leeds city centre is just over an hour away, - so once opened, we'll be able to jump across and make the most of the huge new water park and wellbeing centre.
Projects in the pipeline feature the creation of the £250m ThermeManchester Wellbeing Resort, which will include 35 water slides, 25 pools, 30 saunas and stream rooms, an on-site urban farm and botanical gardens.
The huge site will be fully equipped to host the entire family. A dedicated family zone will have 25 swimming pools attached, a wave pool and more than 35 water slides.
For grown ups wanting to appreciate a relaxing day by the pool without a scream or splash in sight, the adults section will include a maze of water lagoons, mineral bars, swim up bars and 30 steam rooms and saunas.
Image: Therme Manchester
Work has already started on the site, with Peel L&P submitting plans to demolish the 28,000 sq metre EventCity conference and exhibition space on the existing plot.
When it’s complete, the Therme site will span 28 acres and create more than 500 permanent jobs.
Another major development coming to TraffordCity is Modern Surf Manchester, an in-land surfing lagoon set to open by 2025.
The £60m attraction will feature technology that will create consistent waves for all abilities, alongside a cafe, restaurant terrace, surf shop, beach bars, bouldering space and fitness zone.
TraffordCity already attracts some 44 million visits each year, and is hoping to attract another 2.5 million visitors a year over the next five years.
Given it will take less than an hour to travel from Leeds city centre to this incredible new attraction, you can bet we’ll be the first to dive into the waterpark in 2023.
A man from Leeds has been jailed for life after being found guilty of dozens of sexual and physical assault offences.
Paul Benstock - aged 62, of Appletree Court in the village of East Ardsley - appeared at Leeds Crown Court last week where he was sentenced after being convicted of more than 40 offences committed against five victims,
Following a Leeds Safeguarding investigation, Benstock was found guilty of a number of sexual offences and physical assaults against both adult and child victims, including 14 counts of rape - with these offences having thought to have taken place over a 22-year period between 1998 and 2020.
Benstock was also identified as being involved in the making of indecent images of children following an operation by the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP), and was also found guilty of these offences.
"Much of Benstock’s offending was against victims who were children at the time," explained Detective Sergeant Michelle Barnes, of Leeds Safeguarding Unit.
"His victims have shown incredible bravery in giving us detailed accounts of what has taken place and then again supporting the trial process by giving evidence when Benstock refused to take accountability for his awful crimes."
Benstock was sentenced to 37 years imprisonment.
He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, West Yorkshire Police has confirmed.
Featured Image - West Yorkshire Police
News
Bradford man, 20, jailed after admitting to 36 child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A 20-year-old man from Bradford has been sentenced to time in prison this week after admitting to numerous child sex offences.
Following an investigation initially by West Mercia and Lancashire Police, Kasey Fitton, aged 20 of Amundsen Avenue in Bradford, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with four children residing outside of West Yorkshire Police force area.
An investigation was then launched by Bradford Safeguarding Unit, who went on to uncover large-scale sexual offending against children.
In February 2026, Fitton was charged with 16 counts of sexual communication with a child and 20 counts of making/possession of indecent images of children - with police confirming that five child victims have been identified.
At Bradford Crown Court, Fitton admitted to all 36 counts, and then earlier this week (7 September), he was jailed for seven and a half years, plus a five year extension on licence. He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life, and he has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
Speaking following the sentencing this week, Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of Bradford District Police, described Fitton as a 'very dangerous individual to children'.
"There are further investigations ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to us," DSI Weekes said.
"We are keen to speak to anyone who interacted with the Snapchat accounts Kaseyfitton23, Kaseyfitton24 and MyCroft110.
"We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and they are treated with sensitivity. We have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process and do everything we can to get justice."
The Hoot -
16th December 2022 
