Not just surviving but thriving

Hello everyone. I hope, following Storm Bert at the weekend, that any residents who have been impacted are getting the support they need.

I was pleased to see the swift response from the council to the clean-up operation in places like Nuttall Park in Ramsbottom. We in Bury certainly know how bad these storms can be.

What a difference from Storm Eva, which hit Bury on Boxing Day 2015 and led to devastation across the borough. None of us will ever forget it, especially the 800 people who had to be evacuated from their homes.

We do have some good news to announce in relation to that historic event – the Milltown Street Bridge in Radcliffe will finally be restored.

We have secured £3 million of funding from the Greater Manchester Mayor to build a replacement bridge. This will restore the pedestrian link across the Irwell and play an important role in local transport routes and the ongoing regeneration of Radcliffe.

The proposals are due to be approved when the cabinet meets next week, along with another regeneration plan – this time for the centre of Whitefield. We will be formally adopting a new masterplan which aims to improve transport, the environment and revitalise the high street.

It’s important to remember that regeneration isn’t simply about new buildings; it’s about improving the lives of our people.

This is why the council will shortly sign up to the Care Leavers Covenant, to give our young people better opportunities to learn skills and get a decent job.

On a similar theme, it was a privilege to attend our annual Believe and Achieve Awards last week, celebrating the successes of our care leavers, often triumphing against great adversity.

It’s essential that regeneration in our borough is truly inclusive, where everyone can benefit from the improvements. It’s why we have recently agreed to put Social Value at the heart of our decisions on awarding contracts, because prosperity is about far more than bricks and mortar.

Finally, I’d like to thank all our staff who were working round the clock to deal with the impact of Storm Bert and keep us safe.