DON'T forget ordinary people's needs in the scramble to gain awards!

That was the warning from Bury's Tory leader Roy Walker as the council's ruling executive set out its priorities for the future.

Eight "ambitions" were drawn up by senior councillors and staff who attended the annual forward planning event at Warwick University.

They are: to become the place to live in Greater Manchester, the healthiest borough in the region, a significant visitor location, and the premier retail town in north Manchester.

Bury also aims to be the area's centre for educational excellence, for each of the six townships to thrive, to be ruled by a first-class council, and to provide quality job opportunities for Bury people.

The authority will also continue with wider themes such as community cohesion, integrated regeneration, and making a cleaner, safer and greener environment.

But Councillor Walker said that such grand ideas often rang a bit hollow. "Providing services for the ordinary public sometimes gets overlooked in the scramble for nationwide recognition," he told the executive. "Everybody agrees that trees need cutting, but we're told it cannot be done for six months. And then there are potholes in the road. It's nice to win awards, but let's not forget the daily things which are often neglected."

Labour leader John Byrne disagreed, saying that members did deal with daily problems."It's also about resources," he said. "We decided that education and social services were our priorities, and areas such as highways suffered. But we have spent when money became available, and we can see the improvements in our parks, for instance. We could have an army of tree-cutters, but we have to live within our means."