Manchester Airport hub approved for take-off

A £100 million freight and warehouse complex could be built at Manchester Airport after the plans won outline planning permission from the city council.

Up to 1,800 jobs would also be created to construct the development, named the World Logistics Hub, on the Enterprise Zone at the airport to the south of the city.

The plans for the 91-acre site have met with some local opposition as the land was formerly designated as green belt.

Outline planning was approved at the Planning and Highways Committee meeting of the local authority, Manchester City Council, and work on the site could begin as early as next spring.

John Atkins, a director at Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: "We already have significant international interest in the scheme and today's planning approval is a big step forward towards starting to deliver new employment opportunities for local people.

"World Logistics Hub will attract new international businesses and help existing airport businesses to expand, generating much-needed economic growth and over 1,800 new jobs.

"The development will create a sustainable commercial product of international significance, providing high quality logistics facilities linked to the existing airport freight area, with access to the global marketplace - along with 60% of all UK businesses and a consumer market of over 24 million within a two-hour drive time."

The site is within the airport's operational area and is located next to junction 6 of the M56 motorway, close to the existing airport freight area.

The application site totals 91.2 acres, of which around a third (36.6 acres) is dedicated to new landscaping and natural habitats, the firm said.

It claims the new hub will improve international trade, cut transit times and drive more efficient, sustainable supply chains.

PA