Council leaders are set to approve a transport strategy to "help drive prosperity, mobility and improve the environment".

The strategy covers all modes of travel in the borough and will be used to help secure investment for transport in Bury "over the next 20 years and beyond".

The Local Transport Strategy, due to be considered by the council’s cabinet next Thursday, takes on board the views of more than 200 people who took part in a recent consultation.

Council leader, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, said: “This new strategy comes at an exciting time for transport in Greater Manchester, with bus services coming under local control for the first time in almost 40 years.

“If we are to realise our Let’s Do It vision and our regeneration plans, we need a state-of-the-art transport system that is affordable, safe, reliable and well-maintained.

"We need our transport network to unlock new sites for development, to promote health and well-being through active travel and to help meet our commitment to having fossil-fuel free travel by 2038.”

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Cllr O’Brien added: “We received many differing views on whether we were doing enough for motorists, or whether we were doing enough for pedestrians and cyclists. The fact is, we want to make it easier for everyone to get around and give people a real choice of how they travel.”

Aims of the Local Transport Strategy include supporting sustainable and inclusive growth such as the regeneration of the borough's town centres and Atom Valley Mayoral Development Zone.

Improving connectivity across the borough and beyond, and reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality, with a reduction in private car use a major contributor to this, are other targets.

Encouraging healthy and active lifestyles, improving the maintenance and management of the highway network and reducing congestion are priorities too.

And improving road safety across the network on roads and public transport alike is part of the plan too.

The aims are supported by action needed to address other transport issues such as redeveloping Bury Interchange and making improvements to borough stops.

A local Bee Network forum to shape the bus network in Bury, creating walking and cycling routes and tackling road congestion are among these actions.

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Cllr O’Brien said: “This strategy sets out a range of exciting and complementary measures to help deliver a modern transport network that everyone benefits from.

“We can't and won't change things overnight, but we will need to make a gradual change in the way we travel, and show we have a long-term commitment to sustainable transport if we are to attract the necessary investment to make it happen.”