What is Northern Gateway?
In the Places for Everyone joint development plan Northern Gateway is made up of two allocated development sites, one an employment-led destination (known as allocation JPA 1.1 Heywood/Pilsworth), and the other intended to be residential-led (known as allocation JPA 1.2 Simister/Bowlee).
It’s all part of the Atom Valley vision, a cluster of sites across Bury, Rochdale and Oldham set to deliver world-class, cross-sector employment destinations, boosting the economy and creating new skilled jobs in the northern boroughs of the city region.
Bury and Rochdale Councils have adopted a joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for Northern Gateway JPA 1.1, setting out a shared planning framework to guide future development across the site, including design principles, infrastructure priorities, and community benefits.
In April 2025, the NGDV submitted a planning application for the first phase of Northern Gateway, covering around half of the floorspace in the employment-led allocation.
The Plans
The site is located at a strategically important intersection around the M60, M62 and M66 motorways, straddling the Bury and Rochdale border. It sits next to the approved South Heywood development, which is currently under construction.
An outline planning application has now been submitted to Rochdale and Bury Councils for the first phase of Northern Gateway. Our strategic proposals include:
- Around 6.5 million sq ft. of employment space, focused on advanced manufacturing, industrial and logistics uses – from start-ups to international businesses
- Supporting infrastructure, including proposals for retail, leisure, hotel, office and community facilities
- Landscaped green space and routes designed to support biodiversity and recreation
- Active travel infrastructure to connect new and existing neighbourhoods with employment opportunities
- A sustainable masterplan that supports Greater Manchester’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2038
This application sets the overarching principles for the development. If approved, future Reserved Matters applications will provide further detail on layout, access, appearance, scale and landscaping.
Once the application is validated, planning reference numbers will be published, and you’ll be able to view the full submission on the councils’ planning portals.
£630 million GVA boost to the Greater Manchester economy each year
Up to 10,000 high-quality jobs created for residents of Greater Manchester
Annual business rates of around £20 million supporting council services
Attracting national and international businesses
Hub for innovation and sustainability
Long term legacy of skills
The Benefits
Northern Gateway is one of the largest proposed employment sites in the UK. Its submitted planning application sets out a vision for advanced manufacturing, logistics, and innovation at scale designed to deliver lasting economic and social value across Bury, Rochdale, and Greater Manchester.
The plans provide for up to 6.5 million sq ft. of employment space and are expected to support thousands of high-quality jobs across a mix of industries. By enabling modern, low-carbon growth in strategic sectors, the project aims to anchor a new hub for enterprise and investment in the North West.
What kind of jobs could be delivered?
There are a range of high-quality jobs that could be provided at the site including skilled trades (like electrical, mechanical and welding), research & development (R&D) and AI & robotics. The logistics sector also provides a broad range of jobs due to advances in automation and technical innovations, so alongside traditional roles such as drivers, warehouse team leaders, site managers and supervisors the sector employs increasing numbers of project managers, IT operatives, sales teams and engineers.
Thank you for your feedback
Public consultation has now closed and the outline planning application has been submitted to Bury and Rochdale Councils. Once the application is validated, the full documents will be available to view and comment on via the Councils’ planning portals.
Get In Touch
General Enquiries
Write:
Freepost HAVE YOUR SAY (no further address or stamp needed)
Email:
info@northerngatewayconsultation.co.uk
Call:
Freephone 0800 689 1095 (9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri)
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