BURY'S successful bid was prepared over months and specifically aimed at rejuvenating one of the borough's poorest areas. The ambitious project was put together after the needs and priorities for East and Redvales were agreed by the Bury Strategic Partnership.

Over the next seven years, investment will be targeted at four main areas:

1) Improving health: outside cash will arrive thanks to the area being declared a Health Action Zone. There will be a specialist health unit, more childcare training and facilities, and anti-drug and smoking projects conducted in schools. More health support for the Bury Asian Women's Centre is also envisaged, along with a "well person clinic" targeted at the Chesham Fold estate.

2) Investing in housing: the plans include building 300 new homes for owner occupation, some 150 new housing association houses, along with refurbishment of existing houses and measures to improve security and energy efficiency. 3) Building community capacity: this will look at setting up community centres to provide training and teach employment, plus an Information Technology centre. The town centre's successful community safety wardens scheme could also be brought in to this area.

4) Creating an environment for investment: this aims to improve the areas parks, help ease traffic flow, create business investment plans for the Fernhill and Freetown areas, clean up Pimhole, and restore St Paul's Church into a community facility.

Not surprisingly, the bid's success has delighted all those involved in bringing the much-needed cash to Bury.

Mr Peter Weidenbaum, the new partnership chairman, described the announcement as tremendous news.

"There is real determination to bring about change," he said. "The SRB funding is just the start and we expect it will sow the seeds for further big financial investment in East Bury."

East ward councillor John Byrne, who recently relinquished the chairmanship, said: "This multi-million pound award shows that there is faith in the partnership and local people to achieve the aims we have set out."

Mr Alan Maden, chairman of Bury and Rochdale Health Authority, said that Bury people could look forward to a brighter future, better health and quality of life.

MP David Chaytor said he was "over the moon", adding: "It is further evidence that this Government is putting its money where its mouth is."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.