Bury Council has published revised proposals for improving how people get around Ramsbottom town centre, and there are two public events coming up where you can find out more and ask questions.
The scheme is part of the wider Bee Network investment across Greater Manchester, funded by the UK Government through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. The money is ringfenced for walking, cycling, and sustainable transport improvements specifically.
The big goal across Greater Manchester is for 50% of all trips to be made by public transport, walking or cycling by 2040. These town centre improvements are Ramsbottom’s piece of that puzzle.
What’s actually being proposed?
The revised plans focus on making it easier and safer to get around the town centre on foot, by bike, or by public transport. Key proposals include:
- A new controlled pedestrian crossing on Bolton Street, north of Kay Brow
- A shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists on Bridge Street, between Crow Lane and Palatine Street
- A 20mph speed limit across the town centre
- A number of other new and improved pedestrian crossings
What changed after the last consultation?
There was a public consultation back in 2022 and another in 2024, which received 1,504 responses. People clearly had a lot to say, and to their credit, the council listened.
The most significant change is that the proposed one-way system has been scrapped entirely. Residents and local businesses raised serious concerns about congestion, emergency vehicle access, HGVs on Kay Brow, and the potential impact on footfall and deliveries. Those concerns were heard, and the one-way system is gone.
With it goes the associated pavement widening on Bridge Street and at the northern end of Bolton Street, which was only needed to accommodate the one-way traffic flow anyway.
The 20mph zone, which had strong support during consultation, has been kept in.
Come along and find out more
There are two public presentation events being held at Ramsbottom Civic Hall, Market Place, BL0 9AJ:
- Wednesday 27 May – 6.30pm to 7.30pm
- Tuesday 2 June – 5pm to 6pm
Each session includes a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A. If you’ve got questions or opinions about how all this affects your part of town, it’s well worth turning up.
After these events, Bury Council councillors will consider the revised scheme for approval. If it gets the green light, construction is expected to start in 2027 and take around 12 months.
If you can’t make the events but want to get in touch, you can email the project team at [email protected].
Full details of the revised proposals are on the Bury Council website.
Are you planning to go along to one of the events? And what do you make of the revised plans? Let us know in the comments.
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