APPLICATION SUBMITTED THAT WILL CREATE OVER 2,200 SKILLED JOBS AT BREDBURY GATEWAY

South Manchester-based Quorum has submitted an outline planning application for Bredbury Gateway – 1.25m sq.ft of purpose-built employment development aimed at fast-growing industrial sectors that will create over 2,200 skilled jobs once fully operational. 

The plans, which will deliver an extension to Bredbury Industrial Estate, the Borough’s largest and most successful employment site, have been subject to extensive public consultation prior to the submission of the application. Last year, Quorum held a public exhibition on the proposals and sought feedback from politicians, stakeholders and the local community regarding the draft plans. 

Since the consultation, Quorum has reviewed the feedback received and engaged with key stakeholders regarding the proposals. Along with its development team, Quorum has refined the Bredbury Gateway plans to ensure they deliver a new world class destination for manufacturing, e-commerce and logistics businesses in Stockport, meeting both the needs and aspirations of existing and future businesses. 

Furthermore, as Greater Manchester continues to attract major investment from these industries, several international and Stockport-based businesses have registered their interest in taking space at Bredbury Gateway. As such, Quorum has tailored its initial indicative plans to accommodate the needs of these businesses in a move that will retain existing employers and attract new inward investment into Stockport. 

Quorum has spent considerable time and resource addressing the concerns raised during the consultation, particularly in relation to mitigating the impact of additional vehicles on local roads, improving the flow of traffic through the area and the overall highway capacity. By exploring a range of options, Quorum has identified several points on the local highway network where it will fund significant improvements works to ease congestion. The improvement works range from the introduction of signal controls to the addition of new lanes to manage the flow of traffic.

The proposals also include a 130 space car park for Stockport Sports Village and a new cycle link to and from this facility to ensure the site is sustainable and accessible. A new public footpath and bridleway between the site and the River Tame will also be provided. An attractive and carefully considered landscaping scheme will reduce the visual impacts of the development on the Tame Valley and protect local wildlife.  In addition to this, Quorum will also be providing a range of off-site improvement works to enhance pedestrian links through the site as well as cycle links with Brinnington and Woodley. 

The site is allocated for employment use in the emerging Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) due to a current under-supply of suitable existing accommodation and development sites across the region, particularly in Stockport. 

Bredbury Gateway would deliver substantial investment of £80 million that will generate an additional £3.3 million in tax revenues for the Council. Additionally, once fully operational, approximately 2,214 permanent workforce jobs will be created, while a further 138 temporary construction jobs will be delivered per annum during the five-year build phase. With occupiers across the logistics, manufacturing and e-commerce sectors, Bredbury Gateway has the potential to create a range of high-skilled roles in fast-growing industries. During the consultation, almost a quarter of all the feedback received was from those interested in a new job at Bredbury Gateway, demonstrating the need for a diverse range of well-paid roles in the area. 

Paul Cook, Director of Quorum, said:
“Over the last two years, we have been approached by a number of potential occupiers interested in taking space at Bredbury Gateway. All of them have been unable to find development sites of suitable size and quality in Stockport to suit their existing and future needs. The lack of suitable options is now forcing occupiers out of the Borough, including a manufacturer, whose preferred location was Stockport, that has instead taken a significant site 30 miles away in mid-Cheshire. We therefore feel now is the right time to submit this application. 

This is a massive opportunity for Stockport to grow its economy whilst protecting and creating jobs for local people. Further, this is an opportunity for the Borough to deliver a high quality logistics and manufacturing park, something it has not been able to do during the last ten years. This is a sector which has experienced significant expansion throughout the UK and Europe. 

Our planning application has been carefully considered, and the proposed off-site works will offer considerable improvements to the local highways network, along with pedestrian and cycle links to surrounding areas. The ongoing regeneration of surrounding areas, such as Brinnington, will be enhanced by Bredbury Gateway due to the easily accessible new jobs it will deliver. With this in mind, we believe that Bredbury Gateway will provide the final part of that jigsaw.”

The planning application is expected to be determined by Stockport Borough Council by the beginning of 2020.

For further information, please contact:
Joel Moorcroft, Lexington Communications  
0161 711 0297 | joel.moorcroft@lexcomm.co.uk