Russell LDP and Harworth Group have submitted what is understood to be one of the largest single planning applications ever seen in the North, seeking permission from Bury and Rochdale councils for the nationally significant Northern Gateway.
The Northern Gateway Development Vehicle has drawn up outline plans for the first 6.5m sq ft of workspace at the 1,600-acre borough-straddling employment site, located at the intersection of the M60, M62 and M66.
The mammoth plot forms part of the wider Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, which includes 420 acres at Kingsway Business Park and another 500 at Stakehill.
Overall, Atom Valley will deliver 17m sq ft of employment space.
The submission of plans for Northern Gateway follows the approval of a supplementary planning document for the site, which overall will deliver 13m sq ft of the space at Atom Valley.
Russell and Harworth’s application also includes proposals for supporting infrastructure and amenities, such as retail and leisure space, a hotel and landscaped green open spaces, all connected by a network of travel routes.
Turley is advising on planning and The Harris Partnership is the architect.
Helen Hartley, planning associate director at Russell LDP, said: “This is a major milestone in delivering a nationally important employment destination in the North West.
“Northern Gateway is a transformative opportunity, many years in the making, that will create thousands of jobs and bring lasting benefits to the local area and wider region. With sustainable design at its core, our masterplan will create a thriving environment of high-quality employment units, transport and active travel routes and large areas of new, publicly accessible parkland attracting leading local, national and international employers.”
Lynda Shillaw, chief executive at Harworth Group, added: “Northern Gateway will transform the North West and its economy. Focussed on advanced manufacturing, industrial and logistics, and emerging sectors, it will provide a catalyst for growth, elevating the potential of the North West for both existing businesses to expand and new national and international investment in the region.”
Northern Gateway is capable of supporting up to 20,000 jobs overall and will contribute £630m GVA to the regional economy each year, according to the partners.
