White City Retail Park

The Botanical Gardens were long closed, the amusement park had packed up shop, the dogs had gone — so what came next for this historical site?

Hyperion Properties purchased the grounds in 1988, after recognising its commercial potential. Trafford Park was right on its doorstep and Chester Road served as a major arterial route to Manchester city centre, just two miles away. Ravenside Investments agreed to fund the site’s transformation into the retail park that still stands today.

Although the shops have changed over the years, there were some familiar names in the first phase of its opening. In 1990, there was a Halfords, Currys, Carpet Right, and Pizza Hut, amongst other stores that did not fare so well over the last 30 years — such as Texas Homecare and Comet.

In 2020, the white gates that marked the entrance to the Botanical Gardens still stand next to the modern retail stores, as a reminder to shoppers of the rich and varied history of the site.

Sources

Manchester Evening News, 11 April 1990