Levelling Up cash: Bury market, Salford cycle scheme and Bolton college receive funds

Six projects in Greater Manchester will receive cash from the Government after they were successful in the first round of the Levelling-Up Fund.

Altogether 105 projects have been awarded money from the fund, which the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities says will invest in “infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK”.

The announcement of the successes for Greater Manchester councils has been broadly welcomed in the city-region.

Manchester World has taken a look at what the cash is going to be spent on and what has been said about the news.

A state-of-the-art training facility in Bolton

The Government has promised £20m towards the development of the Bolton College of Medical Science.

This ambitious project brings together Bolton College, the University of Bolton, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Council to create a state-of-the-art training facility.

The proposed vocational and professional skills hub will be located at the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth and it is hoped it will make the town a leader in healthcare.

The idea for the college is to offer training and development both to existing NHS staff and those seeking jobs in the sector.

A new civic hub in the middle of Radcliffe

Bury Council has got the £20m it requested to create a civic and enterprise hub in the centre of Radcliffe.

The scheme intends to turn around the town centre’s fortunes by building a new hub with leisure facilities, library facilities, council services, retail, food and drink outlets and community space.

The north block of the existing 1960’s precinct will be developed to provide a car park, while the existing Carnegie Library will be refurbished.

The Bury Market Flexi Hall

Bury Council has also been awarded £20m for its plan for the Bury Market Flexi Hall.

The local authority was able to submit a second bid because eligibility is determined by the number of MPs an area has, and this is the project for the Bury North constituency.

The market, which was granted its charter in the 1400s, is one of the town’s best-known and most popular attractions.

Plans are now under way to ensure it has a bright future too, with the centrepiece Flexi Hall being a state-of-the-art, carbon-neutral facility that can support market stalls and pop-up attractions but also provide a venue for events, live performances and community use.

The development will also include a café bar, an area for office work, and space for workshops, co-worker space and small business start-ups.

Culture in the City in Manchester

The Culture in the City project in Manchester has also received a cash boost of just short of £20m.

In total £19,823,516 will be ploughed into the scheme.

It includes refurbishing Campfield Market to provide tech workspaces and converting three railway arches along Whitworth Street into a creative talent centre for the HOME arts venue.

The council has said it regards tech as a key growth industry for the city.

Cycling and walking infrastructure in Salford

The Salford Rise project, part of the ambitious Innovation Zone scheme in the borough, has been granted just over £13m.

The idea is to join together the two sections of Innovation Zone North, which is part of a massive masterplan for the university and Crescent area.

Essentially the Salford Rise is a large podium over Frederick Road, which is currently a barrier to getting from one part of Innovation Zone North to the other.

It is hoped it will improve connectivity in the area for cyclists and pedestrians while minimising the impact on traffic flow.

The regeneration of Ashton town centre

Tameside Council has secured some £19.87m for the regeneration of Ashton-under-Lyne town centre.

In particular, the money focuses on the restoration of the Grade II-listed town hall.

The building has been closed since 2015 and there have been persistent worries in recent times about its deterioration.

What has been said about the announcements?

Speaking to the press on Wednesday afternoon, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the bid successes was to be welcomed.

He said: “There was plenty to welcome in this Budget and Spending Review, in particular the six levelling-up bids awarded to councils in Greater Manchester.

“I’m particularly pleased with the funding going to Bury, where the council has developed strong plans for a new interchange alongside a new Bury Market.

“I’m really pleased that is being supported.”

The announcements also got the thumbs-up from within the world of business.

Warren Middleton, office senior partner for KPMG in Manchester, said: “The first projects in the North West which have been chosen in the first tranche by the levelling up fund will provide some vital regeneration and support in our local communities.

“While we hope the Levelling Up White Paper will bring further focus to the Government’s efforts to rebalance the UK economy, I’m pleased to see that the Government is wasting no time in addressing what the Chancellor referred to as the UK’s ‘uneven geography’.

“The investment announced in our infrastructure and our communities will help improve productivity in the North West, providing greater connectivity, empowerment and better skills provision.

“We have already seen what investment in local areas can do to make the local high street more desirable through places like Altrincham and Stockport, so funding for projects such as the renovation of the market in Bury will provide a great boost to these local areas.”