A REGENERATION firm is going back to the drawing board to improve Radcliffe town centre.

Bury Council has asked urban design consultants Urbed to prepare a new masterplan to guide future development.

The Manchester-based firm originally looked at the area in 2004 and created the SUN Quarter development brief, which would have seen the town centre transformed with 330 new flats, shops, a market, a riverside cafe and gallery, a bus station and car parking.

But the plan was scrapped when Countryside Properties, pulled out of the £55 million project last year, blaming the credit crunch and falling house prices. The new masterplan will focus on an area bordered by the River Irwell, Pilkington Way, Dale Street and the Piazza.

It will also look at development options in an area to the north of the site, including better ways of integrating Dunelm Mill, and building town houses rather than apartments.

Another new aspect of the study will be how to develop sustainable communities, with a low carbon energy strategy.

Urbed’s work is expected to take up to five months and will include a “visioning workshop” in late November, followed by more consultation next year.

The cost of the Urbed study is £32,441, and includes a Low Carbon Energy study at £9,823.

The study commissioned in 2004 was £15,000.

Councillor Bob Bibby, leader of the council, said: “We’re determined to see Radcliffe get the investment it deserves, as soon as possible.”

David Rudlin, of Urbed, said: “We welcome the opportunity to take another look at this to find a solution in the current market.”