Local News

Rochdale Borough Council has approved £900000 to create four new solo children’s homes in the borough. The move aims to help more cared for children and young people live closer to home.

A community Iftar in Rochdale brought together residents, civic leaders and local organisations to mark the holy month of Ramadan and share the breaking of the fast.

Performance poet Tony Walsh will host an afternoon of live poetry in Rochdale as part of the town’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. The event will take place at Number One Riverside on Saturday 21 March and will also launch two poetry anthologies created by local writers.

A Rochdale production company is touring a theatre programme designed to help primary school pupils recognise the signs of grooming and child criminal exploitation.

The final dog taken when a dog walker’s van was stolen in Oldham has now been found, bringing the total number of recovered animals to seven. Police said the dogs were abandoned after the vehicle was taken from Medlock Road in Failsworth.

More than 100 people entered a Mother’s Day competition at The Rock Shopping and Leisure Centre, with ten winners seeing their messages displayed on floral themed boards in the centre.

Manchester is known by many for its historically renowned music scene; however, the scenes and sounds of Madchester, Oasis and the likes commonly overshadow the notable influence of surrounding towns within Greater Manchester. Rochdale, Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2026, is one of those towns whose musical influence is understated and a lot of the time, unknown.

A six-bed HMO in Royton has been given the greenlight by councillors, despite ‘anger and upset’ in the local community. Property owner Footlong (UK) Ltd can extend a house at 3 Kevin Avenue to create a six-person house of multiple occupation.

Rochdale’s longest serving councillor is due to step aside in May after 44 years in the job. Coun Ashley Dearnley’s cheeky smile has been a constant in the council chamber since 1982, when he was elected at the age of 21.

Two men have been jailed after breaking into a Radcliffe home in the early hours of the morning while a woman was inside caring for her young child. The pair stole a BMW from the driveway before being stopped by police minutes later.

Police made 41 arrests and uncovered three cannabis farms during a major day of action across Rochdale.

An old primary school in Littleborough will be revamped in a £2.9m project to convert it into a family hub. This will provide a dedicated resource for young people, offer health checks and cater for general community use for families in the Rochdalian town.

A Bury councillor has accused administrators of a large local Facebook group of removing posts about a by election candidate while allowing other political content to remain.

Two Rochdale councillors have written to a Catholic academy trust raising concerns about an ongoing strike at St Cuthbert’s High School. They say the dispute is affecting pupils, families and the wider community.

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has criticised the Travelodge hotel chain after a woman was assaulted in her room while she slept. He is among more than 100 MPs seeking answers from the company after the attacker was given a key card to her room.

The former home of a Coronation Street legend has become the epicentre of a planning furore in Heywood.

The Green Party has selected Tottington resident Chloe King to stand as its candidate in the upcoming Tottington ward by election in Bury.

A well known Bury pub has reopened following a £400000 refurbishment that introduces three fireplaces, an upgraded kitchen and a redesigned indoor and outdoor layout.

A new McDonald’s drive-thru for Rochdale has been rejected due to the potential impact on public health.

House hunters in Rochdale are being invited to attend a spring home buyers event at the Silver Hill Manor development on Saturday 14 March.

A charity in Bury has appealed for help after a Henry Hoover used in its community work was stolen from its premises.

Five candidates have been confirmed for the Tottington by election which will take place on Thursday 2nd April.

Reform UK Bury has selected George Martin to stand in the Tottington ward by election next month. The party said he was chosen after reviewing several applicants.

A private pre-school in Prestwich has announced its shock closure, leaving parents with just three weeks to find an alternative.

The padel craze will officially expand in Rochdale following approval of new courts. Rochdale Padel Club has been granted permission by the council to build six new padel courts on the grounds of the cricket club.

Pupils across the Rochdale borough dressed as favourite story characters as schools marked World Book Day this week, with themed activities designed to encourage reading for pleasure.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a 19 year old man was shot in the leg in Rochdale on Thursday afternoon.

A 19 year old man has been taken to hospital with suspected life changing injuries to his leg, as police are responding to reports of a shooting on Beswicke Royds Street in Rochdale this afternoon.

Emergency services are at the scene of a reported serious incident in Rochdale this afternoon.

Synth pop pioneers Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark will perform their first ever live show in Rochdale this August at Town Hall Square.

A series of road safety upgrades are being introduced in Kirkholt as part of wider investment into highways across the borough.

More than nine in ten children in Bury have been offered a place at their first choice secondary school for September 2026, according to newly released placement figures.

Schools across Greater Manchester are transforming hard playground surfaces with nature based drainage features designed to reduce flooding and support wildlife.

A dedication service will take place in Langley later this month to honour three soldiers with strong links to the Middleton community.

Residents in Whitefield have launched Bury’s second community food growing project under the Right to Grow initiative, transforming unused public land into a shared space for growing food.

Prestwich Library will temporarily move to the Phoenix Centre while demolition work begins at the Longfield Centre as part of the wider regeneration of Prestwich Village.

Police were called at around 2.40pm this afternoon after suspected grenades were discovered at an unoccupied property on Manchester Road in Rochdale.

A 24-year-old bartender has had his alcohol license revoked after he was caught drink-driving nearly three times over the legal limit. Dylan Lealand of St. Johns Gardens, Bury, the registered director of Ramsbottom cocktail bar No. 5 Rams, will no longer be allowed to sell alcohol.

A man from Radcliffe has been jailed for life after being convicted of dozens of child sex offences against five children as young as seven.

The Conservative Party has selected Walshaw resident and business owner Emma Lee as its candidate for the Tottington by election on Thursday 2nd April. The party said protecting the local Green Belt and strengthening community representation would be central to her campaign.

Bowlee Car Boot Sale and Market will return to Bowlee Community Park on Sunday 5 April for the start of its 2026 season.

Tenpin Rochdale has a brand new look following the major refurbishment due completion on 13 March 2026, bringing new attractions and upgraded facilities to the town.

A former pub in Boarshaw could be given a new lease of life as a convenience store after its owner applied for retrospective planning permission.

Senior councillors have voiced concern after properties owned by Riverside Housing in Langley were placed on the open market. They claim the disposals took place without prior engagement with Rochdale Borough Council.

A fundraising event in Heywood has raised £1799.65 for Macmillan Cancer Support after Donna Dolan bravely shaved her hair ahead of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

Drivers in Ramsbottom have been warned to expect delays as a busy main road is due to shut overnight on Tuesday, March 3. A road closure on Bolton Road West (A676) is taking place so United Utilities can carry out urgent works.

Parents, carers and young people in Rochdale are being encouraged to take part in a new national consultation on children’s online safety. The Government exercise will gather views on how to better protect young people across social media, gaming platforms and emerging technologies.

Civil war has erupted within Labour as activists in Gorton and Denton accused the party of ‘not being willing to change’ during its by-election campaign. It comes as Labour suffered a bruising defeat in the race which saw it lose the seat to the Green Party despite having a 13,000-vote majority in the 2024 general election.

A building in the middle of Bury’s bar strip will soon become emergency housing for families facing homelessness. Vacant floors above The Monkey House bar on Silver Street will be refurbished into temporary accommodation, after a planning application was approved by Bury council.

Hundreds of new homes; a manufacturing centre; and regeneration projects around five railway stations in Rochdale have been touted in a cash rollout worth almost £200m.

Emergency services were called to a premises on Silver Street in Bury shortly before 2.30am this morning after several people became unwell.

Together for Bury has confirmed that former councillor Greg Keeley will stand for the party in the forthcoming Tottington by election.

Hannah Spencer has been elected the new Green MP for the constituency of Gorton and Denton. Spencer succeeds former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who resigned on health grounds earlier this year.

Accredited election observers have reported what they describe as unusually high levels of family voting during the Gorton and Denton Westminster Parliamentary by election.

An April by-election will take place in Bury after the shock departure of a Tottington councillor, the local authority has confirmed.

Voters in Tottington will go to the polls on Thursday 2nd April 2026, following the resignation of Councillor Luis McBriar.

Bury Council has approved its budget for the year 2026 to 2027, setting out plans to safeguard key public services while managing a reduced but still significant funding shortfall.

People in Rochdale will see their council tax bills go up from April. But it’s not all bad news. 

A 38 year old man has been jailed for more than 12 years after carrying out a planned axe attack on a man in Middleton, leaving him with life threatening injuries.

Three teenage boys have been charged with a series of offences following a knifepoint robbery on Bury New Road in Prestwich on Tuesday evening.

As ‘She’s Electric’ blared from an open top bus, Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell started dancing to gee her up activists one final time. It’s the Labour Party’s last day of campaigning ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election, and the mood has been surprisingly jolly.

As polling day draws closer, the contest in Gorton & Denton appears to be a tight three-way race. Polling by Opinium Research, released on Tuesday evening, shows the Greens and Labour with a narrow lead, both sitting on 28%, with Reform just a point behind on 27%. Some will have already cast their vote through postal voting, but many will be heading to one of the 45 polling stations that are in the constituency.

A serving Bury councillor has defected to Reform UK, becoming the party’s second representative on the local authority.

A deputy team manager from a Rochdale-based care organisation has been commended for saving the life of a police officer who was seriously injured while on duty.

A Bolton choir for people affected by cancer is inviting new singers to join as it begins rehearsals for the new year.

Traffic halted and delays expected following collision between junctions 16 and 17

Traffic was stopped this evening on the M66 southbound between the A56 and Junction 1.

Live updates during the evening as we embed with GMFRS for a behind-the-scenes look at frontline fire service work during one of the busiest times of the year.

Thousands of music lovers descended on Bury during Bank Holiday Monday, 25 August 2025, for Glaston-Bury, the annual one day music festival in aid of Bury Hospice and other local causes. Since it began in 2008, the event has raised over £300,000 and has become one of the town’s biggest highlights of the year.

Thousands packed into Heywood for the town's annual 1940s Day on Saturday 21 June, transforming the area into a tribute to wartime Britain.

Day One at Parklife 2025 is done, and what a day it was. Over 50,000 people packed into Heaton Park for a massive Saturday, with sets from FLO, Rudimental and a huge headline performance by 50 Cent.

Tens of thousands of music fans are pouring into Parklife, as the day one of the festival gets underway.

The sister of murdered soldier Lee Rigby is preparing to run two major fundraising events this autumn, twelve years after his death at the hands of extremists.

The following statement is attributable to Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry:

Bury Business Improvement District have begun hosting the Knife Angel in partnership with Bury Council and GMP and several organisations and partners.

An old empty mill is to be transformed into much-needed housing for people with mental health issues.

The National Poppy Appeal has been launched in Bury today (Thursday 26 October) as we remember the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives and livelihoods during past and current conflicts.

On Tuesday 19 September 2023, Greater Manchester Police were called to reports of a burglary on Brandlesholme Road, Bury.

Asian Community Radio Station in Moorgate, Bury Sparks Controversy with Anti-LGBT Education Signs

The charitable organisation known as the LGBTQI+ Forum in Bury, has issued a statement.

On Tuesday 29 August 2023 at around 11:55pm, officers were called to reports of a man who had been attacked with a knife on Haworth Walk in Radcliffe, Bury.

Housing association Onward Homes and construction firm John Southworth will be working in partnership on a new development of 30 affordable homes in Whitefield, Bury.