Bury town centre housing development could get the go-ahead

The council has set out plans to build around 100 new homes on Pyramid Park, an unused piece of council-owned land in the Bury East ward.

The triangle of space between Market Street and Knowsley Street was originally the market place and fairground that served the town.

The new homes are proposed in addition to 35 new houses for older people which were approved from construction on Townfield’s Close in January.

Council leader, Cllr Eamonn O'Brien, and Cllr Clare Cummins, the cabinet member for housing services at the council, are now seeking approval to develop the remainder of the land on Pyramid Park.

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The new proposals, if approved by council bosses at a cabinet meeting today, Wednesday, will also include a bid to secure more than £1.5m from the government’s "One Public Estate" programme to help prepare the land for disposal.

The council has sent a letter to Bury North MP James Daly to explain its intention to submit the bid.

The bid will require sign-off by the council’s chief executive, Lynne Risdale.

How Pyramid Park park could look in the future (Image: Bury Council)

The council said the plan to build the homes at Pyramid Park is in response to an increasing population in Bury, which is expected to reach 198,241 in 2030, a 5.6 per cent increase from 2020.

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The figures include a significant increase in the number of residents aged 65 and over, which stood at 35,225 in 2020 but is expected to rise to 8,410 by 2023, a 14.6 per cent increase.

The council expects that 25 per cent of the new homes will be classed as affordable and where possible, the new houses will be built to "Future Homes Standards" incorporating low carbon technologies, energy efficient heating systems and elevations to encourage wildlife.