Improving the health of our economy and ourselves
Hello everyone, and I hope the festive celebrations have put you in a positive frame of mind as we enter a new year.
We can look back on a number of achievements from last year, and we’re very much looking forward to 2026. Make no mistake, this is a year when residents will see with their own eyes the work taking place across the borough to transform our town centres.
The new leisure centre and civic hub in Radcliffe will be opening this year, work has started to regenerate the heart of Prestwich, and we’ll have some exciting news about the new flexi-hall at Bury Market to announce in the next few weeks.
Already we’ve taken two important decisions which will benefit the people of Bury for generations to come.
The first concerns the health of our local economy: we’ve agreed to sell the last remaining plot at Chamberhall Business Park in Bury to Crown Oil, so they can set up their national HQ here. Crown are a local 3rd generation success story who have become major players in the field, and this will create hundreds of jobs. It will also add an estimated £8m to the local economy as a whole and boost nearby town centre spending by £500k. You can read more about this here: Chamberhall
The second initiative we have launched concerns the number and concentration of fast food takeaways across our borough. Everyone knows that a diet of junk food is not good for our health, and that the levels of associated obesity are rising.
This is why we will be launching a six-week period of public consultation on proposals which would place restrictions on where new takeaways can open. Bury already has a higher than average number of these outlets, and we are particularly concerned about their proximity to schools.
It’s not just about health; we also want to improve the appearance of the high street, and provide visitors with the widest possible number of options.
Yes, I appreciate that people have freedom of choice, and of course it is up to them what they eat. But we want to make it easier for people to make healthier choices, which will be good for them and their families, and live in a varied and vibrant area. There’s more detail on our proposals here: Hot Food
Creating a borough which is healthier, both economically and personally, is something we are proud to champion. There’s no doubt about it; 2026 is going to be a big year for Bury.