Rochdale to permit DWP distribution site overhaul

Currently used by the government department to store documents, the 27-acre plot off Manchester Road in Heywood is set to be transformed to create 465,200 sq ft of industrial space.

Rochdale Council is set to approve Trammell Crow Company Logistics’ plans for the Department for Work and Pensions’ distribution centre site at a planning meeting next Wednesday.

Designed by Ashton Smith Associates, the scheme would see the demolition of the six existing buildings on site, totalling 343,400 sq ft, to make way for three new storage and distribution units.

Proposals are made up of two buildings. The larger 371,700 sq ft building would provide one unit with 21,600 sq ft of offices.

Meanwhile, the smaller facility would provide a total floorspace of 93,200 sq ft, featuring 4,700 sq ft of offices, across two units.

Visitors would have access to a total of 359 car parking spaces across the site including 22 disabled and 18 electric vehicle charging bays.

Plans were submitted for the scheme last November.

Trammell Crow acquired the site from Telereal Trillium earlier last year with the intention of replacing the DWP’s outdated facilities.

Gerald Eve is the scheme’s planning consultant. The project team also includes Survey Solutions, Burrows Graham, TPM Landscape, Brooks Ecological, and BWB.

To learn more about the plans, search for planning application number 22/01410/FUL on Rochdale Council’s planning portal.