For all our communities

Hello everyone, and I hope you are enjoying your Easter break if you managed to get one.

I would like to wish people across Bury the very best for Easter this weekend. Easter is the holiest time of the year in the Christian calendar, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I also extend my best wishes to our many Jewish residents who are marking the festival of Passover (Pesach).

Another occasion I’d like to mention taking place this weekend is the final league fixture of the season for Bury FC. A victory will make them champions of the North West Counties league, and I’ll be there to see it (don’t worry, I’ve paid for my own tickets!). This is tremendous achievement for this reborn club which has risen spectacularly from the ashes of bankruptcy.

Many people have contributed to this success, including the council with substantial resources. But above all it’s down to the fans. The club has sold more than 6,000 tickets for Saturday’s game – the biggest crowd in the league’s history. A superb testament to the club’s hard work and the public’s support.

Onto council business, and we agreed a number of important matters at last night’s cabinet meeting. They are all designed to support our LET’S Do It principles, encouraging inclusive economic growth and supporting vulnerable people.

We’ve approved the Whitefield town plan, which sets out a variety of ways in which we can improve the high street and surrounding areas over the coming years.

Important planning documents affecting Elton Reservoir and Walshaw have been approved. These will help to control and shape development at these sites, so that any new housing is supported by the necessary infrastructure.

New, self-contained apartments will be created at Topping Mill in Bury, providing much-needed specialist accommodation for those with mental health needs.

We are going to spend half a million pounds on a number of road safety measures at locations across the borough.

We have also approved our work and skills strategy, designed to boost people’s expertise and consequently their job prospects.

These initiatives may not be on the grand scale of developments such as the regeneration projects taking place in Radcliffe, Bury and Prestwich. But they are a crucial part of making our borough better and putting the right foundations in place to ensure a prosperous future. You always need the mortar as well as the bricks.