A prime piece of land in Bury town centre known as Pyramid Park could be turned into houses, offices or even an ice rink under the latest development proposals, the Bury Times can reveal.

Town hall leaders have been trying for years without success to get a hotel built on Townside Fields.

But it appears that this idea, along with hopes to set up a bingo hall or a health and fitness club, have been put on the back-burner.

Instead, bosses are remarketing the site, which runs from opposite the town hall on Knowsley Street right up to the Townside estate off Market Street, and are confident of making progress within weeks.

The major change is that housing development will now be encouraged, at least as part of a mixed project, as will more car parking spaces.

The area nearest to Bury College will be marketed as suitable for offices or residential use. And an ice rink owner who has shown an interest will be invited to take part in a wider scheme. Councillors are also looking at the possibility of allowing a call centre to be built, dependent on promises of quality.

A town hall spokesman was optimistic that the council could start to short-list potential developers by the end of the month.

Council leader Derek Boden said there had been "very significant" interest recently in sites in Bury, including Townside Fields.

"A lot has hinged on the completion of the M60," he said. "With that, the M62 and the Metrolink, a lot of people have woken up to the fact that Bury is just about the best connected and most advantageous place in Greater Manchester in which to invest."

Coun Boden said the council was trying to be flexible over possible developments on Townside Fields.

"It's a strategic site, very convenient, and there's an opportunity for a big enough development," he said. "There are good arguments financially for having all these elements on that site.

"We're trying to pull together elements to make the site very attractive and viable. We probably would benefit from more people living there, but we also need a leisure site, and not just have empty shopping malls at night in Bury, devoid of life until the pub doors open at 11pm and people cascade onto the street."