Trafford Park firms will benefit from localism, says minister

A GOVERNMENT minister responsible for planning will hold a discussion on how the area’s neighbourhood plan can help to stimulate growth.

Bob Neill MP, Minister for Communities and Local Government, is to open SEGRO’s refurbished £3m Longwood Park development at Trafford Park today and will hold a discussion with local firms about the benefits of the  Neighbourhood Plan – one of eight trials currently being held across the UK.

He said: “Trafford’s new Neighbourhood Plan will give local businesses an opportunity to have direct control over the shape of their area for years to come.

“This means they will be able to plan positively for the future and grow their business with confidence, creating more local jobs and bringing new investment into Trafford.”

Trafford Park’s ‘business-led neighbourhood plan’ is one of eight locally-led government initiatives currently being trialled in the UK which have been devised to encourage economic growth, new investment and job creation.

Through a partnership between Trafford Borough Council, community representatives, landlords and businesses on the estate, it is expected that planning regulations for new developments will be reduced and a partnership approach to promoting investment opportunities agreed.

The plan is currently being formulated and will be formally launched in 2012.  Steering group members include, SEGRO, Peel Group, Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Cargill UK and Trafford Borough Council, among others.

Trafford Borough Council leader Matthew Colledge said: “Trafford Park is a major element of the business community in Greater Manchester and across the wider North West region with over 1,300 companies employing 32,000 people.

“Our estimates indicate that it has the potential to create up to 13,000 new jobs and £600 million of economic output for Greater Manchester over the next 15 – 20 years.

 “The Neighbourhood Plan is a great opportunity to enable us to accelerate the development of Trafford Park so that much-needed growth can be achieved by using the expertise and resources of local business people to spearhead the right developments in the right places.

“It will give those with a vested interest the ability to have greater involvement in how the park develops.”

David Bridges from SEGRO, the largest landlord at Trafford Park, said: “We are looking forward to launching the neighbourhood plan with the local council so that planning barriers to investments are reduced.”