The Atom Valley Northern Gateway Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), a major new delivery vehicle that will unlock large-scale regeneration, high-value employment, and investment across parts of Bury and Rochdale, has been established by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The new MDC will support the development of our South Heywood masterplan, HPARK, the major manufacturing and distribution scheme, and the Northern Gateway, the largest employment-led allocation in the North. Together, the projects are expected to create the conditions for nationally significant growth, delivering thousands of new jobs, new employment space, a residential area, as well as long-term economic opportunities for local people and businesses.

South Heywood and HPARK will be brought forward by Russell LDP, while the Northern Gateway Development Vehicle is a 50/50 partnership between Russell LDP and Harworth Group. An outline planning application for the nationally significant employment development was submitted to Bury and Rochdale councils in spring 2025.

The MDC builds on the momentum already established by the creation of the Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone in 2022, which is emerging as one of the UK's most important clusters for advanced materials and manufacturing, with strong links to innovation, skills, and research. Furthermore, the allocation of sites for development through the Places for Everyone joint development plan in 2024, and Northern Gateway being identified as one of Greater Manchester's Investment Zone Enhanced Business Rates Area, also in 2024.

Establishment of the MDC is part of Greater Manchester's wider 'good growth' approach; a new economic model designed to drive growth that is inclusive, sustainable and felt in every community across the city region. Greater Manchester is pioneering new ways of using public investment to unlock development, build investor confidence and deliver long-term economic resilience to underpin this vision.

The Atom Valley Northern Gateway MDC is about unlocking the full potential of this part of Greater Manchester and making sure growth reaches places that have been overlooked for too long. Growth is only good if it's felt in every part of our city region.

By bringing land, infrastructure and investment together through a single development corporation, we can move faster, attract high-quality employers and create good jobs that local people can access. This is exactly the kind of intervention needed to deliver growth that works for everyone and leaves no one behind.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester,

The creation of the Atom Valley Northern Gateway MDC represents a significant milestone for Bury and Rochdale, providing a strong platform for investment, employment opportunities and long-term economic growth. The Northern Gateway MDC will enable Russell LDP to accelerate delivery of its 50/50 joint venture regeneration programme in a strategic and sustainable way, ensuring lasting benefits for local communities and the wider city region.
Iain Griffin, Development Director, Russell LDP

Northern Gateway is part of Greater Manchester's Integrated Pipeline, an enabling tool for the delivery of housing, employment, innovation and infrastructure projects over the next decade. Aligning public and private investment will help deliver new employment districts, strengthen key growth sectors, and support the long-term transformation of town centres and communities.

Atom Valley Northern Gateway MDC will work closely with local authorities, landowners, developers, government partners and local communities to ensure development is well-planned, inclusive and delivers last benefits to people in Bury and Rochdale.