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 today been established by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The new MDC will support development within the Northern Gateway area, centred around the largest employment-led allocation in the North. It will create the conditions for nationally significant growth, generate thousands of new jobs, new employment space, and long-term economic opportunity for local people and businesses.
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, allocation of sites for development through the Places for Everyone joint development plan in 2024, and Northern Gateway being identified as a GM 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.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “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. MDCs are powerful tools to help us achieve our shared ambitions for the city region. Northern Gateway follows in Stockport’s footsteps and is the next in a pipeline of such vehicles planned across Greater Manchester.”
Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, Bury Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Growth, said: “The establishment of the Atom Valley Northern Gateway MDC represents a significant milestone for Bury. It will facilitate substantial investment, attract a generation of job creation, and bring new economic opportunities. Through close collaboration with our partners across Greater Manchester, we will ensure this growth is well planned, inclusive, and delivers lasting improvements that strengthen our communities and give residents and businesses genuine confidence in Bury’s future.”
Councillor Neil Emmott, Leader Rochdale Borough Council said: “The creation of the Atom Valley Northern Gateway MDC marks a transformative moment for borough of Rochdale. It will unlock major investment, support the growth of advanced industries, and create high‑quality jobs for our residents. By working closely with partners across Greater Manchester, we will ensure this development is sustainable, inclusive, and delivers long‑term benefits that strengthen our communities and give local people real confidence in Rochdale’s future.”
Northern Gateway is part of Greater Manchester’s Integrated Pipeline, an enabling tool for 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 lasting benefits to people in Bury and Rochdale.
