Northern Gateway project set to go before Bury and Rochdale councils

Bury and Rochdale Councils will be asked to consider plans for Greater Manchester’s biggest proposed employment development, estimated to generate more than 20,000 jobs and bringing a £1bn economic boost,

Councillors will be asked to approve consultation on a Supplementary Development Plan (SPD) for the game-changing Northern Gateway project.

This development of 1.2 million sq m of employment space straddles the Bury and Rochdale border close to junction 19 of the M62.

An SPD supports development by establishing planning principles for a particular area, which will be taken into consideration when planning applications are determined.

Having an SPD in place can also make it easier to bring in external funding for a project.

The Northern Gateway Development Framework SPD will include details about the site, such as the proposed infrastructure, phasing and timescales, the design principles and the benefits it is expected to deliver.

The Northern Gateway covers employment sites at Heywood and Pilsworth, alongside housing at Simister and Bowlee, although the SPD focuses solely on the employment sites.

Both areas were approved for development as part of the Places for Everyone plan.

If approved by the cabinets of both Rochdale and Bury councils, the SPD will go out to public consultation, with residents and businesses encouraged to find out more and feed in their views.

Rochdale Council’s cabinet will consider the proposals on Tuesday, October 29, while the plan will go Bury Council’s cabinet on Wednesday, November 6.

The Northern Gateway is part of the wider Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, which aims to create a hub for high tech industries, innovations and economic growth in the North of Greater Manchester.

It gives boroughs like Rochdale and Bury a once in a lifetime opportunity to create tens of thousands of well paid, highly skilled jobs which will substantially boost the local and regional economy.

Cllr Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The Northern Gateway, as part of the wider Atom Valley, presents us with a transformative opportunity to rebalance the Greater Manchester economy and bring thousands of high quality jobs, improved transport links to surrounding areas and increased prosperity to the Rochdale borough and beyond.

“If the proposals are passed, I would encourage our residents to get involved and find out more.”

Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “This is a true game- changer, a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring jobs and investment to our part of the world. It will play a crucial role in building prosperous communities in Bury and the wider area for generations to come.”

The Northern Gateway Development Vehicle (NGDV), a 50/50 partnership between Russell LDP and Harworth Group, has submitted a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion to both councils, kick-starting the next stage of the planning process.

A spokesperson for the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle said: “Whilst we’re progressing at pace, it’s important we do so in a considered way with both councils and wider stakeholders.

“This work – exploring the technical constraints and major opportunities of development at the site – will underpin our work on a detailed masterplan and ultimately the planning application we intend to submit next year. The submitted Scoping Report considers the whole allocation site, however, the detail of what will be included in our planning application will be outlined when we consult on the plans next year.”

The Northern Gateway Development Vehicle is also in the early stages of considering proposals for the residential allocation, which will follow at a later date to the employment site and also be subject to an SPD and separate consultation.