‘Nationally important’ £630m employment scheme next to M66 to go before planners in Bury

Thursday, 1 May 2025 15:09

By David Murphy

A ‘nationally important’ employment site could soon be partially built in Bury. The Northern Gateway scheme will occupy land close to the M66, M62 and M60 intersection – creating up to 10,000 new jobs.

The land, which straddles Bury and Rochdale boroughs, has been earmarked for 6.5m sq ft of industrial space, suitable for a wide range of businesses in the advanced manufacturing and industrial and logistics sectors.

The Northern Gateway scheme is the largest proposed employment site in Greater Manchester. The application also includes proposals for retail and leisure space, a hotel and green open spaces – all connected by a network of travel routes.

The application describes the area for development as ‘bound to the north by Brightley Brook, Pilsworth Fisheries, Pilsworth Road and Heywood Distribution Park, to the west by Whittle Brook, to the east by Birch Industrial Park and fields and to the south by the M62 corridor, including the Moto services’.

The planning application, which has been lodged with Bury Council this week, represents approximately half of the total proposed floorspace at Northern Gateway, supporting thousands of jobs in skilled trades such as research and development, AI and robotics, as well as logistics.

Overall, the Northern Gateway is expected to deliver around 20,000 jobs.
The developer behind the plans is the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle (NGDV), a 50/50 partnership between land and property giants Russell LDP
and Harworth Group plc.

Harworth currently operate a similar employment park at Logisitics North, close to the M61 and is currently developing land at Wingates, Westhoughton
for industrial and warehousing purposes. 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.”

The site is within the Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone, allocated in the Places for Everyone (PfE) joint development plan and is strategically located at the motorway intersection.

Lynda Shillaw, chief executive at Harworth Group PLC, 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.”

Bury and Rochdale councils recently approved the adoption of a joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for Northern Gateway – which provides a framework for the future planning applications on the site.

Planners in Bury will decide on the plans in the coming weeks.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough?

Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com

All contact will be treated in confidence.

More from Local News

Seven Sisters tenants reaction to the news they could soon be removed

Billy Jackson has called Rochdale’s Seven Sisters home for 40 years. But shock decision means 2025 will be his final year in the iconic tower blocks.
Festive magic arrives in Bury as North Pole Safari Trail transforms town centre

Free augmented reality trail, festive lights switch-on and family events launch Christmas celebrations in Bury
Replacement mosque plans approved despite concerns about parking

Plans to knock down and rebuild a mosque in Prestwich have been approved despite a 1,630 person petition opposing it.
Andy Burnham ‘taken aback’ by decision to move hundreds out of Seven Sisters towers

Andy Burnham was ‘taken aback’ by a decision to clear Rochdale’s iconic ‘Seven Sisters’ tower blocks, forcing hundreds from their homes.
Nine-bed HMO built ‘without permission’ discovered after neighbours complain

Council enforcement officers discovered a nine-bed HMO had been created without permission after a complaint from neighbours, councillors have heard.
Rochdale’s music legacy takes centre stage with iconic Cargo Studios reunion

Rochdale’s rich musical heritage was centre stage at a packed launch event marking the beginning of a new borough-wide celebration called ‘Rochdale Music Stories’, featuring big names like Peter Hook, Clint Boon and Andy McCluskey.
Naked man stops traffic on Rochdale Road in Bury in shocking mid-morning incident

A naked man caused disruption on a busy Bury road on Wednesday morning, swatting at cars and attempting to open vehicle doors before being detained and taken to hospital.
Seven Sisters tower blocks to be emptied over safety concerns

Residents of the iconic tower blocks that have dominated the skyline of Rochdale since the 1960s have been told they will be evicted due to safety concerns.
Culture Co-op secures £1 million to give Rochdale residents more say over arts and creativity

Rochdale’s Culture Co-op has been awarded £1 million to put local people at the heart of cultural decision-making, as part of a £42 million national programme run by Arts Council England.
Hollin pupils turn happiness into poetry during magical session in Middleton

Middleton Library plays host to spellbinding session with Rochdale’s poet laureate Sammy Weaver
Waugh presses government to ensure grooming inquiry tackles race and class ‘head on’

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh says national grooming inquiry must win survivors’ trust and 'follow the evidence wherever it leads’
Goodbye garlic bread? Sandbrook Park Pizza Hut to shut as 68 UK branches axed

Rochdale’s Pizza Hut restaurant is among dozens of UK branches set to permanently shut, after the company that operated the brand in the UK fell into administration.