Bury Market Restoration Gets £10m Government Top-Up

The government will put a further £10m into restoring Bury town centre, Chancellor John Healey announced in his first Budget. The money goes to the Bury Market project through the government's Growth Mission Fund.

More than £33m has been invested so far in the market area of the Greater Manchester town. That total includes a £20m grant awarded by the Conservative government in 2024.

Bury councillor Charlotte Morris credited sustained work by the council, backed by MP James Frith's campaigning in parliament. "It's a fantastic result for Bury - Bury Market is the jewel in our town centre's crown," she said.

Why the market hall matters

Bury's Indoor Market Hall closed in October 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found there. Since then, new outdoor market canopies have been put up. A new food, drink and events venue is due to open in November.

Bury Council said the new funding builds on long-term regeneration plans and will deal with the condition of the former Indoor Market Hall, so that it can be used again.

The money will also back plans for new homes in the area south of the market, along with better links to shops, services and public transport. In addition, it will support investment in Mill Gate, where more than £24m was secured from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority earlier this month.

The council was keen to stress that the £10m is not a new programme. "The £10m is not the start of a new regeneration programme," it said. "It is the latest investment secured to accelerate a long-term plan already being delivered across Bury town centre."

It said the projects together will connect the market with the wider town centre. They will also support inclusive growth by creating opportunities for local people and businesses, and give residents and visitors more reasons to shop, work and spend time in Bury. "Generations have shopped, traded and built businesses here, and we know how much people have missed the Indoor Market since its closure," the council added.

Elsewhere in the north-west, the Budget allocated £20m from the Growth Mission Fund to restoring the Littlewoods site in Liverpool. According to the government, the Edge Lane site is set to become a 260,000 square foot creative campus for film, TV, gaming, immersive technology and digital screen industries.

Source: BBC News