Projects

Delivering a nationally significant employment-led development in Greater Manchester

Our role

• We are appointed by the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle LLP (NGDV) to facilitate the delivery of Northern Gateway - a nationally significant and strategically important employment-led development. The site is allocated within the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan (PfE), capable of delivering 1.2 million sq m of employment (B2/B8) floorspace, and straddles the administrative boundaries of Bury and Rochdale. 
• We are providing Planning, Design, EIA, Heritage and Townscape, Economics and Sustainability & ESG services to the NGDV in respect of the application for outline planning permission for the first phase, now submitted.
• The development of the parameter plans and design codes carefully balanced the flexibility needed for this scale and type of development alongside protecting key environmental assets and managing the overall environmental impact.
• The Environmental Statement in support of the application needed to not only assess and communicate the impacts of the application but also the wider Development Plan and future, potential infrastructure.
• Our Heritage & Townscape, Economics and Sustainability & ESG teams are also advising the NGDV on a related allocated site to the south of the M62, which will deliver around 1,550 dwellings and a range of supporting infrastructure.

Results

• We supported Bury Council and Rochdale Borough Council to prepare a Development Framework for the Northern Gateway opportunity. Following consultation, the Development Framework was adopted by both councils as a Supplementary Planning Document in April 2025 and will be used to guide all future planning applications relating to the site.
• We submitted an application for outline planning permission on behalf of the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle in April 2025 for the early phase of the scheme, capable of delivering up to 6.5 million sq ft of employment space suitable for a wide range of industries, with a focus on advanced manufacturing and industrial and logistcs sectors.
• The scheme in Greater Manchester has the potential to create up to 10,000 jobs and deliver £630m of GVA. The scale and location of the site will help to deliver inclusive growth across the city region and significantly boost the competitiveness of the northern parts of Greater Manchester. The site is one of few opportunities in the UK that can support a ‘giga-scale plus’ opportunity.