ALL the fun of the fair is coming to The Rock after a series of swings and roundabouts from town hall bosses.

Bury's traditional bi-annual charter fair will take over the town centre's pedestrian areas in September and for two weeks each spring and autumn.

Attempts to move the fair from Bury Ground, its home for more than ten years, have proved controversial for months. The fair can no longer be held at Castlecroft because part of the land is being sold to steel company William Hare, whose new HQ will create 200 jobs, and the rest is being kept aside as a key economic development site.

Bury Council had planned to put this year's spring fair on the Mosses Centre car park. But this sparked massive protest from local schools, residents and market traders who feared a surge in disruption, crime and litter.

Councillors made a U-turn and held the fair at Castlecroft for one last time, but made it clear that it had to move.

Now the fair is being set up on The Rock car park, with small rides and stalls on pedestrianised areas of The Rock and Kay Gardens. The main fair on The Rock car park will be open from 5.30pm to 10pm Monday to Friday and from 1pm to 10pm on Saturday.

Rides on the other two sites will run from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday. The fair will be closed on Sundays.

Work to make the areas ready includes removing 18 trees, drainage and reinstatement of kerbs and surfaces. This will cost £25,000, which the council hopes will come from the sale of Castlecroft.

Various barriers, benches and signs will also be temporarily taken away, and extra cleaning provided. Bosses hope that these costs will come from the Showman's Guild under their rental agreement.

Eight disabled parking spaces will be temporarily moved from The Rock car park to the Parsons Lane (South) car park.

The plans were approved by councillors at Tuesday's executive committee. Mr Ian Cheetham, director of development and environmental services, told the meeting that the Bury Chamber of Trade was in favour of the move.

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