Multi-million pound plans to regenerate Radcliffe sent to residents

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

It includes updates about plans for the £40m civic hub, a new high school, the leisure centre, housing and other key proposals. 

Council leader, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, 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.”

Radcliffe Hub plans

From August to October last year, an extensive consultation with Radcliffe residents was carried out into the designs for the civic hub following criticism from its original plans.

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.

READ > Radcliffe buildings including former bank may be demolished as part of £40m plans

How the civic hub is set to look (Image: Bury Council)

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.

A planning application was submitted last month with enabling works and utility service diversions to prepare the site for development from spring to summer.

A decision on the plans is set to be made in May with site hoardings set to be put up around the main construction site in the town centre in June.

From summer to autumn, demolition of the 1960s shopping precinct and the former TSB building is due to take place.

It is hoped construction work will begin this autumn and by summer next year work to Radcliffe Market, Market Chambers and Market Basement will be completed.

It is planned that the civic hub will be developed and open to the public in winter 2024.

The new Radcliffe high school

The council is working with Star Academy and the Department for Education 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 the secondary school.

The Department for Education is in the process of identifying the contractor that will design and build the school too.

Construction is expected to start towards the end of the year 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.

The site intended for the new Radcliffe high school (Image: Public)

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.

Plans for the Green Street site (Image: Bury Council)

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.

Plans for the all-weather 3G football pitch (Image: Bury Council)

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, March 15 from 10am to 3pm at the Outreach Community Space on 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 completed by the end of the year 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

READ > Pocket park and walking route planned to transform unused River Irwell site

Investing in transport matters

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

Proposals for a bridge on Milltown Street are also part of the plans.

How the bridge on Milltown Street could look (Image: Bury Council)

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

Alternatively you can drop into the Radcliffe Regeneration Office, which is located at 29 Blackburn Street.

Visit www.bury.gov.uk/radclifferegeneration-office for current opening times.