DPD warehouse special delivery

Proposed DPD distribution centre at land off Greengate, Chadderton.

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UP to 350 full-time jobs could be created if plans for a new £11million distribution warehouse in Chadderton are given the go-ahead.

Detailed proposals for a 60,000sq ft facility at land off Greengate have been submitted to Oldham Council and are expected to go before the planning committee later this year. Leading parcel delivery company DPD Group UK, which specialises in express postal and courier services, has agreed to take up occupancy if the scheme is approved by planners, with 200 delivery driver jobs and a further 64 employment opportunities created on site by 2025.

Around 100 jobs are also expected to be created during the construction phase. DPD Group UK's property general manager, Louise Ferguson, said: "Our new Oldham distribution centre will be a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility that will allow us to expand our existing operation to meet our growing business needs and create a significant number of new jobs."

The company's expansion follows DPD's launch of its Predict service which notifies customers of their one-hour delivery slot in advance.

Plans for the project have been submitted by industrial developer Chancerygate with completion on the project scheduled for summer, next year, subject to planning approval.

Mike Walker, Chancerygate's North-West development director, said: "Parcel delivery is becoming an increasingly important sector of the market.

"When fully operational, the DPD distribution centre will create 350 new full-time jobs which is great news for Oldham."

The 3.63-hectare plot, currently derelict and vacant, has previously been part of the BAE System's factory and used predominantly for parking.

It will include a purpose-built storage and distribution centre, two-storey office block and a single-storey welfare block with changing areas, toilets and a canteen.

There will also be loading facilities and a service yard for large articulated vehicles, including 27 spaces for HGVs.

Proposals, which state that the development will need to be in operation 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, also include 120 on-site car parking spaces for staff, including six disabled space, and six additional customer spaces.

A total of 20 covered cycle spaces will also be provided.

Manchester consultants, Hourigan Connolly, are advising Chancerygate on the planning aspects of the project. DPD is being advised by SBH Property Consultants on the acquisition.