Media, movie and TV giant Warner Bros has completed Manchester’s biggest commercial real estate deal of Q2 2025, taking on a flexible lease for an initial five years on 75 Trafford Wharf Road, a stone’s throw from MediaCity.
The global media behemoth is expected to move much of the shooting for hit BBC school drama Waterloo Road to the new, 48,500 sq ft space – formerly the headquarters of Manchester fast fashion giant Missguided and now part of Frasers Group’s portfolio since its 2022 takeover – although the huge lot also seems to present possibilities for numerous other shoots and more should Warners so choose.
Waterloo Road returned to screens in 2023 after a near-10 year absence after the original episodes of the show, which first ran on the BBC for 10 series from 2005 to 2015, picked up a surprise second wind on iPlayer during lockdown. The return was met with rave reviews and soaring ratings.
The BBC commissioned a further two series of the reborn hit show – series 16 and 17 – in August 2024, even before series 14 and 15 had aired. Series 15 began airing in February 2025.
Waterloo Road is set and made in Greater Manchester (currently Stockport, specifically) and is produced by Wall to Wall in co-production with Rope Ladder Fiction. Production is expected to move to the new site immediately, with shooting set to commence in September 2025 and expected to take around 10 months.
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The revived show has featured storylines taking in murder, cancel culture, abuse and coercive relationships while well-known faces including Angela Griffin, Kym Marsh, Jason Manford and Lyndsey Coulson have flocked to join the cast since the renaissance. And it’s not just eyeballs that Waterloo Road brings to the city region. According to a 2024 BBC report, the production of the first three new series generated at least £6.5 million for Greater Manchester and over £9.5 million for the broader North West area, based on spend on crew and suppliers in the region, trained 35 aspiring professionals in key craft areas, with many securing further industry roles and some continuing with the production and provided hands-on experience to 30 young people, from a diverse range of backgrounds, in TV and film.
Since then, Warners has launched the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Access X Waterloo Road Directors Programme, which allows successful candidates to hone their skills on set, furthering the show’s commitment to investing in talent in the North.
Reaching over 300 students from Greater Manchester schools and youth groups, igniting interest in TV and film careers, via outreach sessions held across the region
Prolific North has contacted Warner Bros for comment, but thus far there has been no official statement on the deal from the global multimedia giant. Sources close to the production have suggested an official announcement on the move is expected to tie in with the launch of Series 16 of Waterloo Road on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, precise date TBC but expected in September.
According to real estate analyst Avison Young, the Trafford Wharf Road Deal was not only the biggest in Manchester this quarter, but also a major contributor to Manchester’s biggest non-city-centre take up in two years.
The site is located close to Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium and within the Wharfside regeneration area, one of Europe’s biggest regeneration zones which is currently being subjected to intense scrutiny over its redevelopment linked to the construction of Manchester United’s new stadium.
