GMSF FAQs: Employment

• What is the key objective for Greater Manchester’s economy?
• Why do we need to allocate land for employment?
• How much employment land do we need to find in Greater Manchester?
• What is meant by the “baseline supply”?
• How will industrial and warehousing development come forward?
• How will office development come forward in Trafford?
• What employment development does the GMSF propose at New Carrington?
• What employment development does the GMSF propose at Timperley Wedge?

What is the key objective for Greater Manchester’s economy?

Economic growth is central to the overall strategy for Greater Manchester. It will be essential to raising incomes, improving health and quality of life, and providing the finances to deliver better infrastructure, services and facilities.

Trafford is expected to see increased employment growth over the next 20 years.  Currently the southern areas of Greater Manchester, which include Trafford, have the highest concentration of key assets and major growth areas in the sub-region.

The overall spatial strategy for the GMSF is to spread prosperity to all parts of Greater Manchester, boosting the competitiveness of the northern areas whilst ensuring that the southern areas continue to make a considerable contribution to growth, making the most of key assets such as Manchester Airport.

A significant amount of investment in development will be focused around Manchester Airport; this will include the selective release of Green Belt for new housing and employment development at Timperley Wedge. Another major proposal in the south of Greater Manchester is the creation of new homes and employment land at New Carrington in Trafford.

• Visit the GMCA Website supporting documents specifically the Employment Topic Paper

Why do we need to allocate land for employment?

It is important that there is an excellent supply of employment sites and premises across Greater Manchester that offers a variety of quality, costs and locations. This will enable Greater Manchester to continue to attract and retain jobs and investment, deliver economic growth and tackle unequal access to employment opportunities.

We have enough employment land supply in Trafford to meet our need over the next 20 years as this is included in the baseline supply. Therefore, none of the Green Belt release proposed in the GMSF is needed to meet Trafford’s employment needs up to 2037.

• Visit the GMCA Website for supporting documents specifically the Employment Topic Paper  

How much employment land do we need to find in Greater Manchester?

Over the period 2018-2037 across Greater Manchester there is a need for:

• 4,220,000 square meters of new industrial and warehousing floorspace
• 2,460,000 square metres of new office floorspace

This new floorspace will provide a range of employment sites and premises across Greater Manchester in terms of location, size, scale, type and cost.

• Visit the GMCA Website for supporting documents specifically the Employment Topic Paper

What is meant by the “baseline supply”?

The baseline supply is the supply which is already identified across Greater Manchester by each of the ten districts. The baseline supply is made up of all sites which are currently under construction, sites with approved planning permission and other identified sites that are not reliant on the allocations identified in the GMSF. The baseline supply typically looks ahead to the next 15 years.

• Visit the GMCA website for supporting documents, specifically the Employment topic paper

How will industrial and warehousing development come forward?

The following table sets out the supply of industrial and warehousing land across Greater Manchester up to 2037. Although all of the sites that make up this supply could be developed in full during the plan period (2018-2037), in practice, the large amount of land supply, the size of some sites and the infrastructure that is required mean that some Green Belt sites will come forward after 2037.

The GMSF needs to include an appropriate level of flexibility in overall land supply to take into account the fact that some sites may not come forward as currently envisaged, as well as allowing some choice in the delivery of sites. This allows for a diverse range of opportunities, choice and flexibility in the market.

The allocation at New Carrington identifies land as suitable for coming forward for industry and warehousing. Up to 2037 this land is within the baseline supply.

• Visit the GMCA Website for supporting documents specifically the Employment Topic Paper

How will office development come forward in Trafford?

South Manchester, including the area around Manchester Airport and the future HS2 station are primary locations for office development in Greater Manchester. To ensure that there is continued growth in the office sector it is essential that it is not constrained by a shortage of supply in key locations.

Office development opportunities have been identified through strategic land availability assessments which identify sites capable of accommodating around 2,800,000 square meters of office floorspace. This will help to ensure a diverse range of opportunities and flexibility in the office market. This supply is enough to meet the office floorspace requirement up to 2037; however it is considered that identifying additional sites for allocation will allow for much needed flexibility in the supply.

The GMSF needs to include an appropriate level of flexibility in overall land supply to take in to account the fact that some sites may not come forward as currently envisaged as well as allowing some choice in the delivery of sites. This allows for a diverse range of opportunities, choice and flexibility in the market.

The allocation at Timperley Wedge identifies land as suitable for coming forward for Office development. This land is in the baseline supply.     

• Visit the GMCA Website for supporting documents specifically the Employment Topic Paper

What employment development does the GMSF propose at New Carrington?

• A minimum of 410,000 square metres of employment opportunities for industry and warehousing within the plan period
• 900,000 square metres of new employment opportunities in total at New Carrington
• Employment development located in the north western area of New Carrington, largely on existing brownfield land

For further information on the allocation at New Carrington, visit the GMCA website for section 11 of the full draft the GMSF

What employment development does the GMSF propose at Timperley Wedge?

• A minimum of 60,000 square metres of quality office space within the plan period to support the expansion of Manchester Airport
• Employment development in the south eastern area at Davenport Green late in the plan period following the completion of HS2

For further information on the allocation at Timperley Wedge, visit the GMCA website for section 11 of the full draft the GMSF

You can download a PDF of these Frequently Asked Questions