Last district centre in Greater Manchester without modern transport interchange to get £80m investment

Last week, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced new routes to tram platforms, saying the stand alone work would ‘pave the way for full redevelopment’ of the travel hub.

Bury Council have since published planning documents which give the reasoning behind the planned investment.

The report, states: “Bury Interchange opened in 1980, but many elements have now reached and surpassed their intended lifespan.

“There are several issues with the current interchange in relation to its layout, access and circulation, functionality, capacity and building fabric. “Bury is the only district centre interchange in Greater Manchester yet to be redeveloped to modern standards.

“Noting the recent success of other interchange schemes across the region, the redevelopment of Bury Interchange is seen as the next step in the continued transformation of Greater Manchester’s interchanges to deliver a transport network fit for the 21st Century It is therefore essential to transform the passenger experience.”

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The planning application is for a new pedestrian link between Union Square/Knowsley Place and Pyramid Park.

The footbridge will replace the current subway link which runs under the existing Metrolink track.

The subway, which is accessed via a ramp located in Pyramid Park or from the bottom of the access stairs on the Union Square/Knowsley Place embankment, has been fenced off for 14 years and is prone to substantial flooding.

It is planned to permanently infill and close the subway off and replace its with the new quality footbridge.

The planning document, added: “The new quality pedestrian access will assist in unlocking a future residential scheme on the Pyramid Park site.

“The recently approved re-mediation of the site is the first stage of the council seeking to procure a residential developer for the site. “The new sloped footpath provides the opportunity for integration within a future residential scheme to provide access to Market Street and beyond.”

The footbridge will also allow continuity of passenger access to the existing Metrolink platforms during construction of the new interchange building.

That phase of the scheme is subject to a separate planning application likely in 2026.

When the announcement of the new footbridge was made, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “These plans not only provide passengers wit more ways to get to the tram platforms in Bury, they lay the groundwork for an ambitious transformation of the town’s transport interchange.

“We’re keeping up the pace on making our public transport network the best in the UK and the government’s approval of the outline business case for the redevelopment of the interchange is another crucial step forward for Bury and Greater Manchester. “The current interchange is way past its best and building on the success of Bee Network interchange upgrades – such as the wonderful space we now have in Stockport – our plan is to create a modern, attractive and user-friendly public transport hub for Bury and a much-improved gateway to the town.”

“Bury will also be Greater Manchester’s first operationally carbon-neutral interchange, playing a key role in helping us meet our ‘net zero’ target by 2038 and creating a greener, healthier future for our city region.”