Bury Mill Gate Set for £24.2m Regeneration Investment 2026

Key Points

• The next stage of development for the Mill Gate Shopping Centre has received a £24.2m funding package from the Good Growth Fund of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
• This funding is intended to aid active travel and public realm improvements to the area surrounding the shopping centre as part of Bruntwood and Bury Council’s joint venture.
• The redevelopment plan includes building 300 homes and 40,000 sq. ft. of workspace on the Mill Gate site.
• James Frith, Member of Parliament for Bury North, praised this funding announcement as a major step for the town.
• Mill Gate estate was purchased by Bury Council and its joint venture partner Bruntwood in April 2022.
• In the broader regeneration scheme, up to 800 homes are planned to be built along with improvements to the commercial, leisure, and public realm aspects on the 15 acre site.
• GMCA allocated £163m from the Good Growth Fund in the latest round of funding, including £53m to transport schemes in Greater Manchester.

Bury ( Manchester Mirror) September 25, 2026 – Bury has been awarded £24.2m in funding to support the next stage of the redevelopment of Mill Gate shopping centre, in a move hailed by Bury North MP James Frith as a significant milestone for the town’s regeneration ambitions. The funding comes from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Good Growth Fund and will be directed towards active travel and public realm improvements around the shopping centre site.

What will the £24.2m funding be used for at Mill Gate?

The £24.2m allocation is specifically designated for active travel and public realm improvements around Mill Gate Shopping Centre in Bury. According to reporting by Dan Whelan of Place North West, the funding will support Bruntwood’s redevelopment of the retail centre, which proposes the creation of 300 homes and 40,000 sq ft of workspace. The Manchester Evening News reported that the funding will include demolition to enable part of the area to become new homes, alongside new walking and cycling routes and improved open space and public realm in the Mill Gate area of Bury town centre.

As reported by Dan Whelan of Place North West, the GMCA has allocated £53m of grant funding towards transport projects in the latest round of allocations from its Good Growth Fund, with the Mill Gate project representing a significant portion of this transport allocation. The funding forms part of a wider £163m allocation from the GMCA’s £2bn Good Growth Fund, which cobbles together various devolved monies, £500m from the National Wealth Fund, and private investment from the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

Who are the key partners behind the Mill Gate regeneration?

The Mill Gate regeneration is being delivered through a joint venture between Bury Council and property developer Bruntwood. According to council documents, the Council acquired the Mill Gate shopping centre and wider estate in April 2022 with Joint Venture (JV) partner Bruntwood. The site was acquired to operate the asset and develop it for the future as part of Bury’s town centre regeneration strategy.

Bruntwood and Bury Council have issued a joint statement welcoming the announcement of the funding from GMCA’s Good Growth Fund. The joint venture partnership was approved in principle by Bury Council’s Cabinet on 17 November 2021, with the acquisition completed in April 2022. According to council financial documents, Bury Bruntwood (Millgate) LLP acquired the Mill Gate Estate and Shopping Centre in April 2022, funded by the Council through Public Works Loan Board borrowing, providing loans totalling £20.350m to the Joint Venture.

What are the wider regeneration plans for Mill Gate?

The Mill Gate Regeneration Framework sets out a long-term plan to transform the shopping centre and surrounding area into a mixed-use town centre neighbourhood, forming a key part of the wider Bury Town Centre Masterplan. According to Bury Council’s documentation, the vision focuses on repurposing the retail-led environment into a more permeable, diverse place, introducing new homes alongside leisure, workspace, and public realm improvements.

Spanning 15 acres, the site will become a vibrant and dynamic mixed-used development incorporating retail, leisure, hospitality and residential, with sustainability, education and wellness at its heart. The development will also provide workspace, bringing co-working facilities directly to the high street. According to council reports, the current vision puts forward proposals to deliver 120 homes within its first development phase, with up to 700-800 homes over the entire masterplan period.

The Mill Gate shopping centre originally opened in July 1992 following a £6m redevelopment project which transformed Bury’s primary shopping precinct into a covered, state-of-the-art shopping mall. The Regeneration Framework was formally adopted by Bury Council’s Cabinet in March 2024, confirming the vision for 800 homes, workspace, leisure, and enhanced public realm.

What has been the political response to the funding announcement?

Bury North MP James Frith hailed the funding announcement as a significant boost for the town. According to reporting by the Bury Times, the move was welcomed by local political leaders as evidence of progress on one of the North West’s most ambitious regeneration projects.

The funding announcement comes as regional chiefs say the money will unlock new homes, jobs and opportunities across Greater Manchester. The allocations made in this latest round take the total pledged from the Good Growth Fund beyond £1bn since its launch in November, according to Place North West reporting.

How does this fit into Greater Manchester’s wider investment strategy?

The Mill Gate funding forms part of a broader £163m allocation from GMCA’s Good Growth Fund in the latest round of project approvals. A total of 52 Good Growth Fund funding submissions seeking approximately £782m were received in the latest call for projects, with successful submissions spanning housing, transport, and innovation initiatives.

Beyond the Mill Gate allocation, the transport funding includes £2.5m for a CyanLines route linking Manchester city centre with the Etihad stadium and campus, £16.1m for a mobility hub at MIX Manchester next to Manchester Airport, and £9.9m for active travel and public realm improvements to support phase one of the Crescent Salford masterplan. Housing allocations in the same funding round include support for almost 800 homes across various sites in Greater Manchester, including Cheetham Hill, Victoria North, Ordsall, and New Islington.

Background of the Mill Gate Development

The Mill Gate Shopping Centre has been central to Bury’s town centre since opening in July 1992 following a £6m redevelopment that created a covered shopping mall. The centre and wider estate were acquired by Bury Council and joint venture partner Bruntwood in April 2022, following Cabinet approval in November 2021. The acquisition was funded through Public Works Loan Board borrowing, with the Council providing loans totalling £20.350m to the joint venture vehicle.

Following the acquisition, the Council undertook public and stakeholder engagement, leading to the development of a draft Regeneration Framework approved by Cabinet in July 2023. The final Regeneration Framework was adopted in March 2024, setting out the vision for transforming the 15-acre site into a mixed-use neighbourhood with up to 800 homes, workspace, leisure facilities, and enhanced public realm. The Mill Gate regeneration forms a key component of the wider Bury Town Centre Masterplan, which has a 20-year transformation timeline building on other developments including the redeveloped interchange and regeneration of Bury Market.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Local Residents and Businesses

The £24.2m funding allocation for Mill Gate is likely to have significant implications for local residents, businesses, and the wider Bury community. The creation of 300 homes in the initial phase, with potential for up to 800 homes across the full masterplan, will increase housing supply in Bury town centre, potentially affecting local property values and rental markets. The addition of 40,000 sq ft of workspace will bring co-working facilities and employment space directly to the high street, which could support local businesses and attract new enterprises to the area.

The active travel and public realm improvements funded by this allocation will enhance walking and cycling infrastructure around Mill Gate, potentially improving connectivity between different parts of the town centre and making the area more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. For existing retailers and businesses in and around Mill Gate, the regeneration may bring increased footfall from new residents and workers, though the transformation from a retail-led environment to a mixed-use neighbourhood may also shift the commercial character of the area.

The demolition work required to enable new housing development may cause temporary disruption to existing businesses and visitors during the construction phase. However, the long-term vision of creating a more permeable, diverse place with enhanced public realm could reposition Mill Gate as a destination for leisure, hospitality, and residential living rather than primarily retail. For local residents, the development promises improved amenities, public spaces, and potentially new employment opportunities within the town centre, though the timeline for delivery of the full 800-home vision extends across the masterplan period, meaning benefits will be phased over several years.