Reasons to be cheerful

Hello everyone. As this is my last blog until after May’s elections, let me give you some reasons to be cheerful.

Firstly, our regeneration projects. After years of preparation, people can finally see what’s happening with their own eyes. Work is well under way in Radcliffe to transform the town centre, and it’s great to see that the new high school – which will open in September - will be full.

In the coming months we will be starting work on the new flexi-hall in Bury, and working up plans for the whole Mill Gate estate, and continuing to work with our partners on the Prestwich Village scheme.

Secondly, Places for Everyone. I’m well aware that this divides opinion, especially from people who don’t want any loss of the borough’s Green Belt.

But the simple truth is that we need more houses, and having a proper plan ensures that developers cannot cheery pick sites, but must provide the associated infrastructure alongside new homes.

And it’s not just about housing. The Northern Gateway site will be a true game-changer, potentially bringing many thousands of new, high-quality jobs to our area.

Our public transport will improve long before this, with the launch this week of the second phase of the Bee Network. Having buses under local control will provide a better service at a cheaper price, which is good news for all.

Yes, the council is still struggling to find the money for the daily services that people use and rely on. And we will continue to struggle, unless the government carries out a complete review of how councils like ours are funded.

But that doesn’t stop us being ambitious, and putting in place the measures that will make Bury a prosperous place for generations to come – a place where we are proud to live, work, study and play in.