A £175m regeneration project, partly funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Highways England, has taken a huge step forward after it received the backing of local councillors. The scheme, which has been given the green light by Rochdale Council, will see a new link road created from the M62 motorway which will unlock the development of up to 1,000 homes and 1.5m sq ft of employment space in a huge boost for the economy.

We’re delighted to have Highways England at the Greater Manchester Development Plans Conference in May, and they’ll be sharing further details about the infrastructure which will unlock this scheme and other developments happening around the City.

The proposals, submitted by Russell Homes, are earmarked for land just off J19. They could create about 2,800 permanent roles with a further 450 positions supported across the region by the development being completed.

The project, which would be set for a 2036 completion due to the huge scale, will now be referred to secretary of state Sajid Javid for review – and then work would begin on the link road, with the hope that homes would then follow in 2020/2021.

The road would be funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) which will contribute £10.3m towards the scheme, and Highways England has also committed a further £1.75m. The additional cost would be met by the developer through the sale of homes at the site. The improvements would mean vehicles could access South Heywood Distribution Park without having to travel up Simister Island and onto the M66.

Councillor John Blundell, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, said: ”This is a significant step towards further boosting the borough’s housing and business offer. It will create fantastic opportunities for our residents, many of whom will directly benefit the substantial number of jobs and homes that will be created. It’s clear, with all the investment coming into our borough, that Rochdale is the place to invest in Greater Manchester. I want Rochdale to be a place where people can get a quality home, a good job and pick up great skills, so our residents can enjoy a really good standard of living.”

Join us at the Greater Manchester Development Plans Conference to hear more about the exciting plans happening all away across the city – including presentations from Highways England, University of Manchester, Watch This Space, Capital & Centric, Manchester City Council, Trilogy Real Estate and Salford City Council.