THE latest phase in the ongoing Bury town centre success story has been completed.

And the expansion of more pedestrian-friendly streets will build on existing developments to increase the number of visitors to the area.

After six years of extensive public consultation into a town centre strategy, aimed at encouraging environmental and community regeneration, the latest changes have taken place.

While upgrading the image and environment within the town centre, the improvement works have also reduced non-essential through traffic and enhanced pedestrian, cyclist as well as public transport access. The £446,000 scheme was partly funded through the Greater Manchester Bus Corridor initiative.

The development was seen as a priority to complement the roles played by Mill Gate, the £5 million refurbishment of Bury Market and the popularity of the Cultural Quarter in attracting increased levels of visitors during the day and evening. Bury Council's environment and transport chairman Councillor Julie Higson said: "Over the last decade the town centre has seen some dramatic changes and improvements.

"This latest piece of the town centre jigsaw complements that and has been carried out only after considerable consultation.

"We believe that its completion will have a major impact and create the kind of town centre that Bury needs and deserves for the 21st century."

The 25-week programme, during which the work was done without any significant impact on town centre businesses, included a range of improvements from footway and carriageway refurbishment to associated street lighting and drainage.

The scheme involved a new junction lay-out at Silver Street, a return to two-way traffic between Market Street and Silver Street and a new roundabout at the junction with The Rock and Market Place.

In Market Street, new street lighting has been introduced, traffic restrictions imposed between 10am-4pm daily to limit access to buses, taxis, cyclists, permit holders as well as delivery vehicles to Mill Gate and disabled badge holders.

A number of wider footways and the introduction of environmental improvements have made the area more pedestrian friendly.

At nearby Haymarket Street, the roadway has been split into two with a central island to prevent circulating through traffic, the existing zebra crossings raised up on to highly visible road humps and the footway refurbished.

Coun Higson added: "Back in 1994, the council set out a vision for Bury town centre which included creating pedestrian friendly streets, improving the image and the environment, reducing traffic, encouraging the use of public transport and better accessibility into the area.

"We have come a long way since then and the benefits of the changes we have carried out are there for all to see."