Development plans for the Millgate shopping centre in Bury include building up to 800 new homes.

Bury Council has published an update to its strategy for the town centre shopping complex after it acquired the centre and wider estate alongside joint venture partner Bruntwood in April 2022.

The council said the regeneration of the 15 acre Mill Gate estate is a long term project which will take place over the next 15 to 20 years.

The council describe it as having "the potential to deliver one of the North West’s most ambitious regeneration projects".

In the report the Bury Council’s cabinet, Steven Manifold, major projects manager at the authority, gave details of the overall aspirations for the site.

He said: “The current vision puts forward proposals to deliver 120 homes within its first development phase, with up to 700-800 over the entire masterplan period.

“Improvements are also proposed to public realm and retail accommodation.

“This will ensure the asset remains suitable for modern retail requirements while also catering for the leisure sector.

“As we move towards a future in urban areas where people travel less, buy locally, work and access local services, we need vital and liveable neighbourhoods.

“This means the council must think carefully about neighbourhoods and how they can be either built or re-designed to work well.”

Mr Manifold also referred to the environmental effects of town centre living.

He said: “The Millgate Estate itself is on a 15.2-acre brownfield site in the centre of the town.

“This presents the opportunity to introduce a significant residential capacity in the heart of a highly sustainable town-centre, one which is not car-dependent.

“Bury town centre is a highly sustainable location, with a major transport interchange which links to the 100-station Manchester Metrolink system, the town centre is also a major bus hub for north Greater Manchester and contains cycling and walking infrastructure.”

Later this week, Bury Council is expected to give approval to the next stage of the project. This will be approval for the joint venture to undertake engagement activity over the summer period to introduce the masterplan design and develop a Strategic Regeneration Framework for the medium and long term re-development of the Mill Gate estate.

The paper argues that completing such a framework "provides the most flexible and cost-effective method of project development".

It adds: “It will establish a clear vision, set of objectives and guiding development principles, which will form an important material consideration in determining future detailed planning applications as they are brought forward on a multi-phase basis.”