The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

, close to the Trafford Park

Trafford Park

Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...

 industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre

Manchester City Centre

Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...

. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the United Kingdom at £1.65 billion. The Trafford Centre is the largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom by overall size (including leisure and dining space) and the second largest shopping centre in the UK by retail size.

The site occupied by the Trafford Centre was owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company until 1986 when the company was acquired by John Whittaker

John Whittaker (businessman)

John Whittaker is a British businessman and property mogul with an estimated fortune of £2,075 million placing him 28th in Sunday Times Rich List 2011....

 of Peel Holdings who had plans for an out of town shopping centre.