Bury Council buys shopping centre for redevelopment

Bury Council agreed to buy the complex for an undisclosed sum

Bury Council is to buy Mill Gate shopping centre to "secure its long-term future" and redevelopment.

The council said it had agreed to purchase the centre to avoid it being bought by an investor only looking for "short term gain".

By owning the centre, the council said it would be in control of its future.

Council leader Eamonn O'Brien said it was "one of the biggest pieces of work" the authority had undertaken and was a sign of the town's "aspirations".

"This will boost the Bury economy and the town centre," he said.

"It's a sign of our aspirations not just in the here and now in Bury but a sign of what we are trying to do in the next few decades."

The council will enter into a joint venture with developers Bruntwood to work on improvements to the shopping complex, which it will buy for an undisclosed fee, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Plans are for the centre to retain its "retail heart" - including Bury Market - with the addition of new residential, office and and leisure uses.

A report to the council's cabinet stated the move, paid for by a government loan, would avoid "public sector intervention further down the line at potentially great cost".

The council said it planned to coordinate the development of Mill Gate with other Bury town centre projects including the new Metrolink station and transport interchange, the Bury Market Flexi Hall and a hotel development on the site of the former fire station.