Northern Gateway Development Zone to showcase ‘immense’ opportunities around HS2

Investment opportunities in The Northern Gateway Development Zone (NGDZ), a partnership between seven local authorities and two LEPs, are set to be promoted at the Marché International des Professionels d’Immobilier (MIPIM) conference this week.

Described as the “UK’s investment hot ticket” due to the proposed presence of the HS2 line, the NGDZ bridges the gap between Manchester and Birmingham, covering most of Cheshire and Staffordshire.

Now, council leaders from across the two counties are preparing to explain how the NGDZ could transform not just the businesses and lives of the people within it, but the UK economy as a whole.

Their aim will be to ultimately supercharge the impact of being at the heart of the multi-billion pound High Speed rail project.

On the first day of MIPIM (March 14), an NGDZ reception will reveal the partnership’s new branding.

NGDZ chair Jackie Sadek, who will host the reception, is the chief exec of UK Regeneration.

She said: “There is now an accelerated platform to deliver 100,000 homes and 120,000 new jobs in the Northern Gateway Development Zone enabled by HS2.”

She added: “The opportunity is so immense that it needs an exciting new name, new logo and new brand and a whole new approach that truly communicates that this really is the UK’s hot investment ticket and the place where the UK connects.”

On the day following (March 15), the NGDZ showcase will continue with a presentation of the HS2 Competitive Crewe masterplan, which is based on the Government’s plans to invest in a HS2 interchange at Crewe.

Speaking further, Jackie commented: “This partnership has already received significant investment from Government to progress a growth strategy and individual partners are complementing this with their own investment in detailed master-planning exercises which will guide development opportunities.

“We are creating a breadth and depth of investment opportunities that cannot be replicated in the confines of a city region. Previously under the radar, this hyper-connected and diverse interconnected economy is in the perfect place to grow quickly, providing a real high-quality alternative and polluted big cities.”

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