SOME 180 jobs are coming to Bury after a manufacturing firm was given permission to move its headquarters to the town.

The staff, mostly employed outside the area by steel manufacturers William Hare Ltd, will be housed in a brand new two-storey office block to be built at the showground site at Castlecroft.

The go-ahead for the development has been given despite some reservations surrounding the loss of the showground.

An objection had been lodged by the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, complaining about the disposal of the ground when a suitable alternative site had still to be identified.

However, welcoming the development is borough planning officer Jim Metcalf.

"The new site will bring 180 extra jobs to Bury. Attracting such a big company to the town is a major coup for Bury," he said.

The local authority's planning control sub-committee has granted full planning permission for the construction of the office building and a 230-space car park. William Hare Ltd will build a 2,700 sq metre brick faced and glazed two-storey office building in a "parkland" setting off Castlecroft Road.

When completed, the building will become a new headquarters for the company which already occupies a large works on the opposite side of Castlecroft Road.

The office block will house 180 staff, mostly from sites outside the borough, and the balance of the parking spaces will be utilised by Bury-based Hare staff.

Bury Council says the development fits in with the borough's Unitary Development Plan.

A planning report states: "A draft development brief has been prepared for Bury Ground as a whole, and although this proposal is in advance of adoption of the brief, it is in accordance with the overall framework set out on it.

"The plans indicate a high quality development to set the standard for the rest of the site. Negotiations are continuing about a replacement site."

This land is used at certain times of the year for the popular Bury funfair.

At the meeting, which approved the application, Councillor Wilf Davison said: "Bury fair is an important part of the local scene and every effort should be made to find a new site for it."

William Hare Ltd is a fabricator of steel which is mainly used in the manufacture of steel-framed buildings.

The company was originally set up in 1945 and has had a presence in Bury since the late 1970s.

Apart from Bury, Hare's also have bases in Bolton, Astley and Scarborough.

The company declined to comment, saying negotiations were at a "delicate" stage.

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