Trafford Park designated as Business Neighbourhood Area

 The approval means that the TPSMB can now submit an application to the Council for designation as a Neighbourhood Forum. If approved, this would allow the TPSMB to develop a Neighbourhood Plan or a Neighbourhood Development Order.

A Neighbourhood Plan or a Neighbourhood Development Order would give the businesses within Trafford Park a measure of control over the development plan process and a mechanism to simplify the development management system within the Business Neighbourhood Area.

A report (22-page / 9.69MB PDF) to the Council's executive said that the scale and diversity of the businesses within the Park was challenging "in terms of creating a single voice and identity for Trafford Park and the management of potential conflicts between different uses through the spatial planning system".

The report said that the designation of the Park as a Business Neighbourhood Area would help to provide "much needed identity" and would enable "a unified approach to the growth and development of the area".

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) identified Trafford Park as a frontrunner for the Business Neighbourhood Plan process in 2011.

The TPSMB, which comprises key landowners and senior representatives from developers and businesses including Cargill, Canmoor, Manchester United Football Club and Peel, was subsequently set up to lead the creation of the Business Neighbourhood in Trafford Park. The Board works alongside the Council and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

"Trafford Park is one of Europe's largest industrial parks and key to Trafford's status as a regional economic hub," said executive councillor Michael Hyman. "The Council is committed to working in partnership with businesses and other agencies to ensure its future prosperity."

"Having this designation reinforces its importance and will help secure the area's future growth and enable us to maximise investment opportunities within the Business Neighbourhood Area," Hyman said.

Mike Pocock, planning law expert in the Manchester office of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said he welcomed the designation of Trafford Park as a Business Neighbourhood Planning Area (BNPA). 

"This is fantastic news for Trafford Park and is a critical step towards allowing businesses at the Park to have greater control over the development of the Park," Pocock said. "It is now up to the applicants to formalise a Neighbourhood Forum which will in turn allow it to create a Neighbourhood Plan or Neighbourhood Development Order. These steps will allow planning decisions to be largely shaped by the wishes of the businesses at the Park."

"However, whilst this is a positive step for the prosperity of the Park, there will still be a requirement for statutory consultees to be involved in planning decisions meaning that an element of frustration and delay could remain, meaning it is not a panacea," he added.