Bruntwood and Trafford Council announce £2.5 million expansion of Altrincham workspace, Foundation, in response to significant demand

Following strong demand for workspace at Foundation, which has now reached full occupancy, alongside Trafford Council, we have announced a £2.5 million investment to expand the Altrincham scheme, creating an additional 14,215 sq ft of workspace. 

The expansion, subject to planning permission, will extend the business community already established at Foundation, creating space for more companies to benefit from its collaborative environment and town centre location. It will also bring even more people to Stamford Quarter on a daily basis, benefitting the high street and positively contributing to the local economy. 

As part of the works, a new entrance will be created via the existing Foundation building, providing direct access to the new suite above the retail units at Stamford Quarter. The scheme will also include improvements to the external elevation, new windows and a new roof. 

Foundation was designed to create a thriving working and lifestyle culture for the town centre, where people can work, meet and socialise. Since launching, it has proved incredibly popular, welcoming leading national and independent brands. These include leading global sports marketing agency, SPORTFIVE, and full-service creative and digital marketing agency, TGG.

The new space at Foundation will offer a mix of leased and managed workspace, designed to meet the needs of both ambitious scale-ups and established businesses. Alongside its workspace, Foundation has created a connected and varied community that allows customers to network and learn from each other in a collaborative environment.

Customer wellbeing is also front of mind, with Foundation featuring a high specification gym, changing areas, showers, cycle facilities and a shared business lounge for the wider business community to enjoy. 

Most recently, Foundation welcomed Askrose, taking the building to full occupancy and helping to drive demand for the expansion. The independent, HMRC-authorised agent has agreed a letting for 2,910 sq ft of bespoke workspace, which is currently being fitted out to support its continued growth and expansion. 

The gateway to Altrincham town centre

Since completion, Foundation has played a vital role as the gateway to Stamford Quarter and the wider town centre. Located close to Altrincham's transport interchange and Stamford Square, Foundation gives customers easy access to several travel routes as well as the retail and leisure amenities on its doorstep.

Stamford Quarter is home to a vibrant mix of retail and leisure providers, including LookFantastic's first bricks and mortar store, Sostrene Grene, Oliver Bonas, Lane7 and Nell's Pizza. The joint venture is also progressing plans with a number of national and independent retail and leisure providers to bring new occupiers to the remaining vacant retail space, demonstrating continued demand for Stamford Quarter and the strength of the scheme’s retail offer. Further announcements will follow soon.

As part of its commitment to supporting the wellbeing of the local community, Foundation includes a 375 sq m living biophilic wall on the building's external façade, made up of 36,000 carefully selected plants grown by I Want Plants in South Manchester. The HYVERT green wall is now home to 125 invertebrate species, The wall has absorbed more than 1,500kg of CO₂, alongside significant quantities of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter. The CO₂ absorption is equivalent to the emissions produced by approximately 6.3 buses travelling from Altrincham Interchange, directly opposite Foundation. .

Sharon Johnson, Head of Commercial at Bruntwood Places, said: “Since launch, Foundation has seen significant interest from ambitious and established businesses looking for high-quality, flexible workspace in a prominent town centre location. With our track record in Altrincham and across Greater Manchester, we’ve been able to create an ecosystem where businesses can connect, collaborate, grow and thrive, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see that community develop.

“The demand for Foundation, which has now reached full capacity, has given us the confidence to push forward with these exciting plans and create space for even more businesses to become part of this growing community. This £2.5 million investment reflects our long-term commitment to creating places where businesses can see their futures, while supporting the wider local community and economy.”

Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council's Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: "We're delighted to be able to bring plans for this expansion forward. Subject to planning permission, our aim is to create more capacity for ambitious, forward-thinking businesses - new and established - to base themselves in this vibrant working community, in the heart of Altrincham town centre. One of our priorities as a Council is to foster a thriving economy and enabling this growth, to meet clear demand, is just one way that we are working with partners to achieve this."