FAQ
For archived questions please click here.
- What is Kingsway?
- Who is driving the Kingsway scheme?
- How many jobs will be created?
- What will Kingsway look like?
- What further environmental considerations have been made?
- What provisions have been made to combat issues of drainage caused by construction and the development as a whole?
- What Public transport/pedestrian considerations have been made?
- What type of occupier will be attracted to Kingsway?
- Who is building Kingsway?
- Who is in the project team?
What is Kingsway?
Kingsway is a £350 million proposed mixed use business park development of 170 hectares (420 acres) gross area with 115 hectares (285 acres) net developable area, located between the M62 and the A664 (Kingsway) within the borough of Rochdale.
Kingsway is one of the Northwest Regional Development Agency's (NWDA) 26 strategic sites (one of first 11 to be announced).
The scheme will be developed over the next 15 years.
Who is driving the Kingsway scheme?
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Wilson Bowden Developments, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency have joined together to develop Kingsway Business Park. The Kingsway Partnership was formalised in 2002, with the signing of the development agreements between the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd.
This major partnership also includes Rochdale Development Agency and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, who selected Wilson Bowden Developments in 1998. Wilson Bowden Developments is one of the UK's leading commercial property developers which also encompasses David Wilson Homes, Ward Homes and Wilson Bowden City Homes.
The Kingsway Partnership has appointed Erinaceous and Jones Lang LaSalle as joint agents with all parties working together and committed to creating 'A New Landscape for Business'.
How many jobs will be created?
It has been estimated that Kingsway will create in the region of 7,250 direct jobs, 1,570 indirect jobs and 260 construction jobs for 10-15 years (phased).
The Kingsway Recruitment Team has been set up to support the recruitment process with a range of services designed to match employment needs to candidates. Employers will benefit from free professional consultation to help identify, train and recruit the best quality employees. This service, combined with the high quality of the development, will ensure Kingsway attracts and retains the best of the North West and UK's workforce.
What will Kingsway look like?
The plans for Kingsway will include the creation of the 30 hectare (70 acre) open space at the heart of the development. The 70 acre Stanney Brook Corridor will contribute an essential ingredient to the Kingsway success story. The proposed works will protect and enhance the existing diverse range of natural habitats including woodland, willow scrub, grasslands and the wetlands of the Stanney Brook River, parts of which have been designated as sites of biological importance.
Kingsway will benefit from a detailed design and management guide, which will ensure high quality development, both in terms of the landscape and street furniture, and the design and use of buildings on Kingsway.
What further environmental considerations have been made?
The Kingsway Partnership has a strong environmental policy with specific programmes devised to protect and enhance the habitats of the local wildlife. Environmental Resource Management (ERM) has been undertaking an ongoing programme of detailed surveys, on a variety of local wildlife plus flora and fauna, which will be continued throughout the various stages of the park's development.
An extensive Environmental Impact Assessment and detailed surveys were also carried out to meet new stringent standards for such development. These were submitted with the Planning Applications and were undertaken by Environmental Resource Management Ltd.
The aim of the surveys - or environmental impact assessments - is to ensure that rare species are protected during the development of Kingsway.
New habitats will be created for mud snails and water voles which will be translocated from other areas of the Kingsway development. Any wildlife relocation will be in careful compliance with the requirements of the planning consents and an approved sustainable ecology management plan.
As an added measure arrangements have been made to host small breeding colonies of both mud snails at Martin Mere and water voles at Chester Zoo, to ensure there are adequate populations of these rare species to re-stock newly created habitats when these have matured.
What provisions have been made to combat issues of drainage caused by construction and the development as a whole?
Stanney Brook Corridor will play a key role in the drainage of the whole of Kingsway with four drainage attenuation lagoons being created. These will not be permanent water features but rather wetland areas which will add to the diverse ecology of the area, and act as holding areas in times of high rainfall to ensure the Stanney Brook River is not overloaded.
What Public transport/pedestrian considerations have been made?
When work is complete, there will be significantly wider public access to the corridor and the Kingsway site as a whole than historically when the land was virtually all in private ownership.
The Stanney Brook Corridor will include a footpath/cycleway connecting the north and south of the site. This will be constructed in the first phase of development. Kingsway also will have a comprehensive network of footpaths, cycle ways and bridleways throughout the site, both alongside the site roads and also using the old lanes (Lower Lane and Moorbank Lane) which will become greenways free from vehicular traffic. Whilst vehicles will only be able to access Kingsway from the motorway junction or the A664, there will be many direct pedestrian links to the neighbouring residential areas.
It is intended to operate dedicated bus services to and from Kingsway and indeed around the site when it is completed, linking the site to key transport interchanges i.e. Oldham Road, Rochdale train and bus stations.
Specific measures will also be supported via the EDZ programme, using European monies to help construct dedicated cycleway network linking into Kingsway.
The Kingsway Partnership has also commissioned a detailed sustainable transport plan which it will implement to support and encourage use of alternative modes of accessing Kingsway. The Partnership will also have a dedicated member of the team working with businesses on Kingsway and local residents to implement schemes for car sharing.
What type of occupier will be attracted to Kingsway?
The site offers the potential to provide 335,577 sq m (3.6m sq ft) of new high quality employment accommodation including opportunities to provide important new facilities for the borough. The site will include predominantly general and light industrial uses (B1 & B2), office use (B1), storage and distribution uses (B8), hotels, ancillary retail and leisure uses (A1, A2, A3 and D2), housing (C1), plus 30 hectares (70 acres) forming an ecological park/corridor. This will make Kingsway attractive to a whole range of potential occupiers and will offer a diverse range of employment.
There is a scope for individual serviced sites in excess of 20 hectares (50 acres). There are sites for single large employment users, and both local and inward investors.
The scheme is capable of satisfying a 86,000 sq m (926,000 sq ft) requirement on Plot T and Plot J (22.7 hectares/ 56 acres) has been set aside specifically for inward investment. There are believed to be several requirements of this size and nature in the market.
Target sectors include IT, Computers and Communications, Customer Service, Administration and Finance, Logistics and Transport, Hotels and Catering, Manufacturing, Engineering, Food and Drink.
Who is building Kingsway?
Wilson Bowden Construction will probably build most of the buildings, but using many local sub-contractors and locally recruited labour.
Who is in the project team?
A dedicated team has been established to respond to enquiries for Kingsway. General enquiries can be directed to any member of the team:
Robert Grafton, Development Director;
Wilson Bowden Developments
Tel: 0113 246 7778
Email: rgrafton@wbdevelopments.co.uk
Jane Dobie, Development Manager;
Wilson Bowden Developments
Tel: 0161 233 1360
Email: jdobie@wbdevelopments.co.uk
Rob Green, Operations Director;
Kingsway Partnership
Tel: 01706 868 999
Mobile: 07810 528 457
Email: rob.green@nwda.co.uk
John Goss, Development Manager;
Kingsway Partnership
Tel: 01706 868 999
Email: j.goss@investinrochdale.co.uk
Agents - for specific property enquiries:
p3 Property Consultants
Tel: 0161 834 0707
Fax: 0161 638 9201
Email: peter@p3propertyconsultants.co.uk
Jones Lang LaSalle
Tel: 0161 828 6440
Fax: 0161 828 6490
Email: kingswayteam@eu.jll.com