Prestwich Village Regeneration Plans Adopted by Council
This week saw the regular meeting of Bury Council’s Executive Committee. This brings together the nine “Executive Member” from the ruling Conservative Group on the Council; They’re the only Councillors wielding any real power in Bury, effectively they’re the “cabinet” of Bury, and whatever crumbs the real cabinet chuck down to Councils are gobbled up by them. All back-bench councillors like me get left with is hot air to spout and blogs to write. And the occasional bin to get installed…
But sometimes the Executive do things I like, and this week they did because they adopted the Prestwich Village Regeneration Strategy
For over a year now, the Council and its contractors have been consulting on the future of Prestwich Village. This was finally presented to the Executive and has now been agreed as “material planning guidance” which will determine what the centre of Prestwich looks like in the future.
In summary, the Longfield area of the Village centre will be redeveloped: a new supermaket and shopping area; existing and new community facilities (the Longfield Suite), Hall, Library and Health Centre; above the shops/supermarket would be some apartments, a hotel on Bury New Road and some (not too high) multi-story parking. In addition work will be undertaken to improve the A56, including restoring the opening of Rectory Lane onto Bury Old Road to improve traffic flow.
This is the result of lots of lengthy consultation with local people, who vetoed ideas like high rise flats, and added in some things too. This is, I think, a good proposal. All we need now is someone to build it!
More information here.
Full details of draft development strategy, and its supporting background documents, can be downloaded from www.bury.gov.uk/prestwichregeneration.
Rick
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