Consultation opens for Northern Gateway development

A plan to create around 20,000 jobs and boost the Greater Manchester economy by £570m has taken another step forward.

People are now being invited to have their say on plans for the Northern Gateway, the city-region’s biggest and most significant proposed employment development. Set within the Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, Northern Gateway will create an employment destination, driving jobs and investment in the northern boroughs.

The sites will be located next to the M60, M62 and M66 motorways, straddling the Bury and Rochdale border. 

The first phase could see around 9,990 high-quality jobs created, with the wider employment site set to deliver around 20,000 jobs in total. It is estimated the £570m economic boost for Greater Manchester will be in addition to £20 million in business rates for local councils.

The plans include 600,000 sq. m of employment space in advanced manufacturing, industrial and logistics; 5,000 sq. m of supporting uses potentially including retail, cafés/restaurants, a hotel, office space; landscaping and green, open space for recreation; and active travel routes linking existing and new homes with jobs. 

 

Atom Valley
Atom Valley is a Mayoral Development Zone (MDZ) across Rochdale, Bury and Oldham. The zone is focused on three sites - the Northern Gateway (which straddles Bury and Rochdale near the M66 and M62), Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale, and Stakehill in Rochdale and Oldham. The sites have the potential to accommodate 1.6m sq m of new employment space, create around 20,000 jobs and deliver 7,000 new homes.

A new MDZ board has been set up to coordinate the project, chaired by leading economist Paul Ormerod, who was born and brought up in Rochdale and is also chair of Rochdale Development Agency, with representatives from local and national authorities, central government, and the private sector.

The ambition is to create a hub for innovation in advanced materials, manufacturing, and green technologies, with world-leading facilities and opportunities for local residents to access good jobs, training, and skills.

 

The Northern Gateway Development Vehicle (NGDV), who are the driving force behind the plan, are a 50/50 partnership between Russell LDP and Harworth Group. They are set to bring forward a planning application for an early phase of the Northern Gateway employment site which covers around half of the overall proposed floorspace.

A spokesperson for the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle said: “Northern Gateway will be one of the largest, most significant employment destinations in the UK. By creating a hub for innovation it’s set to attract national and international businesses and supercharge the Greater Manchester economy. 

“The site will deliver opportunities for people living in Bury, Rochdale and beyond with thousands of high-quality jobs and a long-term legacy of skills. Alongside advanced manufacturing jobs, from skilled trades to R&D, AI and robotics, the site could offer high-quality logistics jobs like project managers, IT operatives, sales teams and engineers.”

The consultation runs until 17 February 2025 and the NGDV team will be hosting two drop-in events on:

• Wednesday 29 January, between 3pm and 7pm: The Old Police Station Business Centre, Heywood, OL10 1AQ
• Tuesday 4 February, between 3pm and 7pm: Pike Fold Golf Club, Hills Lane, Unsworth, Bury, BL9 8QP

There is also an online Q&A session on Monday 3 February between 6pm and 7pm. Register for the online event or find out more about the consultation here: https://northerngatewayconsultation.co.uk

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter