Latest news about Radcliffe Regeneration

Latest details of the multi-million pound plans to regenerate Radcliffe town centre are being delivered to every home in the town.

Residents are urged to read the new edition of Investing in Radcliffe News, which has all the latest information about what’s coming, and when.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “Radcliffe’s regeneration is really getting under way and will change the town for the better; physically, socially and economically.

“With your help and input, designs for the new Radcliffe Civic Hub have been jointly shaped and developed, and a planning application was submitted at the end of February.

“During spring, work will start in earnest to prepare the town centre for construction work which will begin during the autumn, subject to planning approval. This means we can all start to look forward to a fantastic new home for leisure, library and wellbeing services by winter the following year.

”We continue to take a pro-active role in bringing a new secondary school to Radcliffe, along with 600 new homes, better transport, new sports facilities and environmental improvements.

“Above all, this is all about working with Radcliffe people to build a new future for the town.”

More details of the Radcliffe Regeneration plans are on the council’s website at https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15242

Or drop into the Radcliffe Regeneration Office, which is located at 29 Blackburn Street: see www.bury.gov.uk/radclifferegeneration-officefor current opening times.

In the new edition of Investing in Radcliffe

Radcliffe Civic Hub - Designed with you, for you

From August to October last year, extensive consultation with Radcliffe residents was carried out into the designs for the £40m Civic Hub.

A number of changes have been made as a result, including: softening the colour and reducing the cladding; making the front entrance more welcoming; increased glazing to bring in natural light.

Other changes made in response to public feedback include: adding public art to the elevation that faces Lidl; adding a ‘green wall’ to the elevation that faces Radcliffe Market; providing accessible seating within the building and to the outside public space; and equipping the bandstand for performances and use by community groups.

Project timeline:

February 2023: Planning application submitted

Spring to summer 2023: Enabling works and utility service diversions (to prepare the site for development)

May 2023: Planning decision anticipated

June 2023: Site hoardings erected around the main construction site in Radcliffe town centre

Summer/autumn 2023:Demolition of the 1960s shopping precinct and the former TSB building

Autumn 2023: Construction work begins

Summer 2024: Work to Radcliffe Market, Market Chambers and Market Basement complete

Winter 2024: Civic Hub complete and open to the public.

The new Radcliffe High School

Bury Council is working with Star Academy and the Department for Education (DfE) to bring the new school to the site of the former Coney Green High School in Spring Lane.

The council has approved admission arrangements for its secondary schools for the 2024/25 academic year, setting out how parents can apply for places. Star Academy is also working with all primary schools in Radcliffe and will be providing further information to parents and pupils making plans to transfer to secondary school.

The Department for Education is in the process of identifying the contractor that will design and build the school. Construction is expected to start in late 2023 and the school will open to its first group of Year 7 pupils in September 2024. For the first term, there will be purpose-built temporary classrooms on the Spring Lane site. In the second term, pupils will move across to the new main school. Further details about the school building will be provided as the designs are developed over the coming months.

Leisure in Radcliffe

The leisure centre at Spring Lane will be open as usual until late 2023. The site will then be decommissioned and handed over to the DfE (by March 2024) to build the new secondary school.

In the interim period before the leisure centre opens at the new civic hub in winter 2024, a range of activities will be offered at community sites in Radcliffe. These will include fitness classes, table tennis sessions, wellbeing sessions, pop-up gym sessions and Live Well Service support clinics. An outdoor activities programme will also be offered at Radcliffe’s green spaces.

Housing - including 220 affordable homes – on brownfield land

• School Street – a planning application has been submitted to build 91 family homes on the site of the former Radcliffe High School.
• Green Street – a mixture of 132 one-bed and two-bed homes on the site of the former Radcliffe Pool, to help smaller households get onto the housing ladder.
• East Lancs Paper Mill – plans to build 400 homes on this long derelict site, enhancing the environment and develop the sporting facilities of the cricket club, will be submitted in the spring.

New £2.4m all-weather 3G football pitch

Located at Redbank Playing Field, this has now received full planning permission. Full project plans are now under way, which include the upgrading of the surrounding grassed pitches at the site.

Community safety

The leaflet contains details of your local police officers and how you can help to make Radcliffe a safe place for everyone.

Radcliffe Volunteers’ Fair

This is your opportunity to get more involved in your community and maybe try something new. The event is on Wednesday 15 March (10am to 3pm) at the Outreach Community Space, 35-37 Blackburn Street.

New pocket park for Radcliffe

A further scheme that will complement the wider town centre regeneration programme is the revitalisation of the space beside the River Irwell (just off Stand Lane) to create a new pocket park in the heart of the town. The pocket park will be complete by the end of 2023 to provide alternative town centre open space while site hoardings are in place around the Piazza and construction work is under way to build the new civic hub

Investing in transport matters

During the spring, residents will be given the chance to have their say on a range of matters connected with a local including walking and cycling developments.