Bury launches 10-year urban vision
Improvements to towns including Prestwich, Radcliffe and Ramsbottom are included in a council strategy to improve the lives of its residents over the next decade.
In Prestwich, Bury Council wants to deliver a mix of housing types and boost the number of community facilities on offer, including the provision of a new library, according to the Bury 2030 plan unveiled this week.
In Radcliffe, which has recently adopted its own Strategic Regeneration Framework, the council hopes to see a number of projects brought to fruition, including an expansion of the Market Hall and Market Chambers, and a redevelopment of the East Lancashire Paper Mill Site into housing.
Bury itself has a number of pipeline projects that could be delivered between now and 2030, according to the strategy, but the council said its main focus is on bringing forward an improved market hall and transport interchange.
The council is seeking to appoint a consultancy to draw up a separate masterplan for Bury town centre.
The focus for Ramsbottom is on reducing the amount of traffic on the town’s roads and encouraging a shift towards active travel such as walking and cycling. The council also aims to develop a ‘townscape plan’ that would deliver improvements to the town centre over the next decade.
The ongoing regeneration of Radcliffe comes under the scope of the vision
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “Bury 2030 started last year when 1,100 people from around the borough gave us their thoughts, wishes and concerns [for the local area].
“This feedback has helped to produce this latest plan but, if it is to succeed, it must have widespread support from all sections of the community, including residents and businesses, young and old.
“This is not a council plan, it belongs to us all, and we can all play a role in making it happen. That’s why we’re inviting everyone to join in and help produce a plan that is backed by Bury.”
As well as improvements to town centres, the roadmap, for which an eight-week consultation has been launched, aims to drive improvements in community health, boost inclusion and interaction between different groups, and create a more environmentally friendly borough.
Bury town and the surrounding area needs lifting up and decluttering. A simple strip-back of some of the terrible street furniture and hardware would be a quick and relatively cheap way to instantly make the place more appealing. The market also needs a revamp. The earmarked funds should be allocated to strike a balance between creating a real market for locals and somewhere attractive for day trippers – think Stretford Food Hall meets Alty market, but without the £5 pints.
A few CPOs and a drive on greening up the centre, as well as easier walking routes to Elton Reservoir and other areas of great potential. There is so much potential, but the council appears to be one of the more “safe” councils that would really benefit from the right brave consultancy coming in, believing in the vision and then delivering it. It can be done!
By Dave
It would be better if improvements included the preservation of ALL greenbelt in the borough. This can be done, its proven, but we want our council to write a local plan that would truly be a community-driven plan, to which everyone can contribute.
By Janet Taylor
So the council received 1100 responses to Bury 2030 consultation via the Arc4 survey? That response out of a population of some 190,000 is not a true reflection of a survey. How much did this ridiculous survey cost?
By Alan Bayfield
Am all for improvement of the town .it needs it.. but will never support building on our green belt. That would improve nothing and would be a tragedy . If the council are really listening to the people of Bury then no building on our green belt should be approved.
By Lynne hodson