Building the new Bury over the next decade and beyond

Business leaders, investors and stakeholders gathered to hear how the borough is being transformed over the next decade and beyond.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was among the speakers at the first Bury Regeneration Expo, held in Ramsbottom.

Organised by Bury Council, in partnership with the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub, the event showcased the many game-changing developments coming to our borough.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, took the opportunity to launch Bury’s new Economic Development Strategy, which sets out Bury’s ambitions for Bury the Place, the People and the Economy.

At the Expo, Joint Venture partners and regeneration developers heard how these transformative regeneration plans will ensure Bury’s prosperity and the role of business in turning dreams into realities.

Cllr O’Brien said: “There are moments which are real turning points for an area, and this is one of them. The last major development we led in Bury was delivering The Rock in Bury town centre, which opened in 2010, but since then the economy has flatlined and investment has suffered.

“However, our borough is now seeing a radical change in our prospects for growth because of our work to develop a vision, build partnerships and attract investment. It’s taken the council to be willing to step up and step in, to move from the passenger seat to the driving seat. The plans and projections show that Bury is building again.”

He added: “This isn’t just about numbers or building anything, anywhere for the sake of it. This is long-term planning, bringing together our refreshed strategies on housing, economic development, culture and transport, with more to follow on social value and skills. This means we can connect our people up with the opportunities and make Bury a place where everyone can share in success.”

The meeting highlighted the major developments coming to the borough: including the £40m civic hub in Radcliffe, the regeneration of the Longfield Centre in Prestwich, and a redeveloped Mill Gate shopping centre, and a modernised transport interchange in Bury.

It also focused on the Northern Gateway/Atom Valley initiative, part of the wider Mayoral development zone, which has the potential to bring thousands of quality jobs to the area as a major regional and national hub. The 17 million sq ft site on the M62 corridor involves Bury, Rochdale and Oldham council, the GMCA and the JV partners Harworth and Russells.

Cllr O’Brien talked about the importance of partnership in bringing such developments to fruition.

“Over the past few years, Bury has successfully focused on building a range of important relationships with key partners - from joint ventures with Bruntwood in Bury and Muse in Prestwich, to the High Streets Taskforce in Whitefield and Vinci and Watson Homes in Radcliffe.

“These will help us deliver better and quicker, and give everyone greater confidence that things will actually get done.

“We all want to create a more sustainable, competitive, inclusive and resilient local economy. This is a big year for Bury, as people finally see the bulldozers and cranes move in and realise that the dreams are becoming reality.”