PLANS revealed last Thursday to reclaim and regenerate the Kirklees Valley in Bury could include some housing and other developments. Vision For The Valley, an in-depth report to the Borough's development services committee, shows provision for footpaths, a nature trail, a cycle track, and the clearing of a sludge pit to create an ornamental lake. Champale Ltd.(Keyford) have a planning application lodged with Bury Council for land which they own at the southern end of the valley.

They want to develop a hotel and restaurant and have offered environmental improvements as well as removing a disused water treatment plant and creating an open space for community use.

The plan says that their submission is generally consistent with Bury Metro's draft Urban District Plan.

Two other major land owners within the valley are Activecraft and Kirklees Industrial Estate.

The local authority's intention is to form a charitable trust to which land owners can agree to transfer their land.

The report states that it is realised there must be incentives to this end.

Although the Kirklees Industrial Estate is in green belt there are precedents for allowing development to overcome significant eyesores.

A low or medium density housing development on part of the site would give such an incentive, releasing other land to the proposed trust.

Monies may be raised for the scheme from the EEC, English Partnerships, The Millennium Committee, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

The report, plans and an executive summary are lodged at Development Services, Craig House, Bury, and at Tottington Library so that local people can study them and have their say.

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