The Northern Gateway project, hailed as the largest employment development in Greater Manchester, is set to be transformed by the Atom Valley initiative. This nationally significant scheme aims to deliver 7,000 new homes, create 20,000 high-quality jobs, and establish 17 million square feet of employment land.
Now, a mayoral development corporation (MDC) has been appointed as the driving force behind the project. The MDC, granted special powers by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), is designed to expedite development and attract investment by cutting through red tape that typically slows redevelopment and increases costs. These powers include the ability to acquire, hold, regenerate, and dispose of land, as well as compulsory purchase powers to accelerate transformation. Council documents indicate that the MDC will collaborate with landowners and developers to align priorities and future plans.
Atom Valley is expected to deliver a £7 billion boost to the regional economy through employment and investment. Led by business leaders and council officials from Bury and Rochdale, the MDC will use these powers to unlock land primed for development.
Physical Progress Underway
While much of the project has been confined to boardrooms and planning meetings, physical evidence of progress is now visible. The Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC), currently under construction at Kingsway Business Park near the M62, is expected to become a catalyst for growth in advanced manufacturing, machinery, materials, and scientific research. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham officially broke ground on the project on a rainy November day in Rochdale.
Key Components of Atom Valley
Atom Valley comprises three key sites: Kingsway Business Park, Stakehill, and the Northern Gateway. Stakehill will accommodate approximately 1,650 new homes and 231 acres of employment space for industrial, distribution, and advanced manufacturing uses. Located near the A627(M), it offers direct access to the M62 and M60. Plans for 314 new homes on land north and east of the Stakehill Industrial Estate were tabled last year, marking the first of many developments in the area.
The Northern Gateway project, another key component, is set to become one of the largest employment hubs in the region, driving substantial investment and up to 10,000 jobs. It will also deliver new homes along the M60, M62, and M66 corridors in Bury and Rochdale, featuring 6.5 million square feet of industrial space for advanced manufacturing, industrial, and logistical sectors. Outline plans for the Northern Gateway's industrial park were submitted last year by the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle (NGDV), a 50/50 partnership between Russell LDP and Harworth Group plc.
A Decade of Growth
Speaking at the SMMC groundbreaking, Mayor Burnham described the project as the start of a decade of growth for the northern part of the city-region. He said: "This is a major milestone on our journey to be a world-leading city-region in every respect. I think in the future, we will remember being gathered here in the rain on a bleak looking day, hopeful of what today symbolises." He added: "This is a huge statement about how Rochdale has changed. I arrived on this building site and I saw a bowl of rocket and guacamole, if that doesn't tell you Rochdale is changing, nothing else will." Burnham emphasised that after ten years of devolution, Greater Manchester has become the fastest-growing city-region in the country, but change has not been evenly spread. He noted: "We've not seen enough change in Rochdale, Oldham, Bury, Wigan and Leigh – that's why this is significant. Because the next decade of growth in GM is going to be a decade of good growth, where we lift every person and every place."
Infrastructure Upgrades
Work has already started on the Simister Island upgrade project, essential for managing increased transport activity from Atom Valley. Five lanes of traffic and a new link road will be created at Junction 18 to ease congestion, following official confirmation by the Department for Transport (DfT) last year. However, Mayor Burnham stressed the need for better public transport, including an extension of the Metrolink tram service as part of the Atom Valley plan.
Burnham commented: "You can't be here and ignore the congestion on the M60 and M62. The congestion is a drag on productivity and it's too hard to get across the country in that part and around the city-region. The Simister Island (junction 18) investment is good, but going into the budget my message to the government is that you can't take GM's growth for granted. We've got growth but to keep ahead of that you have to put in the infrastructure to support further growth." He added: "We're still waiting to hear about the big infrastructure to support our railways. I don't think we can carry on with the M60 as it is, because it's overly congested all the way around. We need a plan for road and rail to support the level of ambition that is Atom Valley."
The committee meeting on the Atom Valley Northern Gateway Mayoral Development Corporation was postponed last week but is expected to reconvene soon.
