South Heywood

Russell Homes has received approval from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council for the £400m masterplan to bring new jobs, homes and improved highways infrastructure to the southern part of the borough.

Aerial view of South Heywood Masterplan area
Aerial view of South Heywood Masterplan area

The key part of the 18-year South Heywood masterplan is a new 2.2km link road from Junction 19 of the M62 motorway to the employment areas off Pilsworth Road.

An infrastructure priority for both the local council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM), the link road will provide HGV traffic from the South Heywood employment area – and its numerous logistics parks – with a dedicated route to the motorway, 17km shorter than the existing return journey, and directing HGVs away from Heywood Town Centre, Birch and other local roads.

The other part of the application is the development of new employment, residential, ancillary retail, and community uses – a new primary school, playing fields, parks and open space – across the 130-hectare site. This includes 1.88million sq ft of commercial space, and up to 1,000 new homes, with the potential to create more than 2,850 new jobs. It is estimated that the development will generate £175m a year for the economy.

The South Heywood masterplan is an ambitious long-term development that will support and significantly enhance economic opportunities in the borough and benefit the local area by providing high quality family homes, jobs and community facilities.

There is a real opportunity to improve the economic standing of the borough and its profile as a place to do business, building on the already successful industrial and logistics parks at South Heywood. There is a clear requirement from businesses to expand and locate here, and the borough is fast running out of suitable employment space of the type that we are offering.

The critical mass of the development, its supporting community facilities, and the thoughtfulness of the masterplan, allows new family housing to come forward. This is something which is lacking across parts of the borough, and will broaden the ability to retain the most skilled local people.

Whilst the existing logistics parks of South Heywood are strategically placed for the local motorway network, connectivity to the network is poor, resulting in long journeys or inappropriate routing of HGVs through the town. The new link road would provide a direct route to junction 19 of the M62, to the benefit of businesses and local people.

The new link road would be part-funded by grants from Transport for Greater Manchester and Highways England, with the shortfall met by Russell Homes through the release of the proposed housing.

As a housebuilder we know how important it is to create attractive and sustainable communities that people want to choose to make their home. With this masterplan, we are also outlining the jobs, community facilities and wider infrastructure which together will make this a truly sustainable development where local people will live and work over the next two decades and beyond.

For more information about the South Heywood Masterplan please contact the land team by emailing sales@russellhomes.co.uk

South Heywood Masterplan

  • CGI of a typical residential development
    CGI of a typical residential development
  • Plan includes employment areas, homes and a primary school
    Plan includes employment areas, homes and a primary school
  • Aerial view of the masterplan and new link road
    Aerial view of the masterplan and new link road