Local News

More than 170 council staff across Greater Manchester have six-figure salaries, according to a new town-hall ‘rich list’.

Construction workers are still finding ‘pockets of asbestos’ at Oldham Coliseum as renovation work continues.

A Rochdale man has been sentenced after fraudulently claiming a ten thousand pounds covid business grant. He pleaded guilty at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court.

Emergency services are at the scene in Bury after a car crashed through the wall of a JD gym. Roads in the town centre have been closed while crews respond.

An eviction notice has been issued after a flat in Heywood became a hotspot for anti social behaviour within weeks of a tenant moving in.

Firefighters across Greater Manchester are now being equipped with body worn cameras following recommendations from the Manchester Arena Inquiry. The rollout aims to improve decision making, safety and transparency during incidents.

The alternative community have been rocking out in Bolton this weekend, all in aid of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

Hundreds of people took part in the Rochdale AFC Colour Dash, with families and supporters coming together for a day of colour, activity and community spirit. The event took place near the Crown Oil Arena ahead of the club’s fixture against Wealdstone.

Students who are part of the Friendship Group at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale organised a food drive to support residents in need over the Easter period.

Avoira has donated 50 voice activated smart speakers to Age UK Bury to help tackle loneliness and digital exclusion. The donation marks the local technology firm’s 50th year in business.

A youth football team in Radcliffe has received a £1000 sponsorship from a Greater Manchester housebuilder for the current season.

Rochdalians will head to the polls on Thursday, May 7 with a total 120 candidates vying for a position on the council.

More than 1,500 people attended Rochdale’s first FAB Youth Arts Festival, celebrating creativity led by young people across the town.

A Labour councillor standing for re election in Smallbridge and Firgrove has responded after a WhatsApp message appeared to suggest Reform policies could benefit his business.

A lecturer is urging Oldham MPs to attend a parliamentary debate on statutory sick pay for women with endometriosis.

More than 40 people attended a community event at a garden centre in Failsworth celebrating women working in and entering the horticulture sector.

In less than a month, Bury locals will be called to polling stations to vote in new council representatives for their local areas. Exactly 17 of the 51 seats in the borough’s wards are up for grabs in the poll on May 7. 

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of going equipped after officers stopped a vehicle and recovered suspected theft equipment in Royton.

Six people have been sentenced to more than 60 years in prison following a Greater Manchester Police investigation into a drug importation conspiracy worth over £1 million.

Four men in their 20s have been arrested after a violent disorder involving two vehicles in Heywood. Police also arrested two of the men on suspicion of drugs offences.

A theatre in Rochdale will get a revamp to mark its centenary. The Curtain Theatre will get a new design for the building’s façade, inspired by its signature red colour.

Bosses at a Bury snooker club were hauled before councillors after a customer was knocked unconscious after hours.

Two more restoration projects sandwiching the iconic Rochdale Town Hall have been approved.

The plan to create a new ‘high-quality’ apartment block in Rochdale has been refused because the flats are too small. Cope Funeral Service has been a mainstay on Manchester Road for years, but a scheme to demolish it and build 28 apartments was tabled last year.

Artists, organisations and community groups have been recognised at the Rochdale Culture Awards held at Rochdale Town Hall. Seven winners were selected from 19 finalists during the borough’s Greater Manchester Town of Culture programme.

Emergency services attended a collision on Long Street in Middleton on Monday evening. Two people were injured and one was taken to hospital.

A free Teddy Bears’ Picnic themed playground has opened at The Rock in Bury for the Easter holidays, with activities running until 19 April. Families are invited to take part in daily sessions and special themed events.

A building collapse in Oldham has sparked fears over potential human trafficking after it displaced more than 40 people living in flats neighbouring the property, we understand.

Boz Park in Unsworth has been formally designated as a Local Nature Reserve, marking its recognition as an important site for wildlife and the community. The site becomes the eighth reserve of its kind in the borough.

Voters across Tottington, Walshaw and Affetside went to the polls today, Thursday 2nd April, to elect a new representative to Bury Council following the resignation of former councillor Luis McBriar.

Reform UK has secured victory in the Tottington by-election, gaining a seat on Bury Council. 

Polling stations in the Tottington by election closed at 10pm, with counting getting under-way and a result expected we believe at about 1.30am.

Rochdale Borough Council has recognised outstanding staff contributions during its ACE Staff Awards, with seven honours presented at Rochdale Town Hall.

Rochdale Development Agency has appointed Rachel Laver as its new managing director, bringing more than 25 years of leadership experience in economic development and regeneration.

A 48 hour dispersal order has been introduced across Rochdale town centre following reports of anti social behaviour and criminal damage. The order is in force from 11.30am on Thursday 2 April until 11.30am on Saturday.

A new operator is now running leisure services across Bolton after a transfer agreed by the council. The change covers centres, parks and community sessions across the borough.

The early stage of a 1,000-home scheme in south Heywood has been approved – bringing with it 186 houses. The overall South Heywood Masterplan would see the 1,000 homes, employment space, primary school and new link road brought to land off Hareshill Road North.

A council by-election is set to take place in Tottington today, April 2. Residents of Totty, Walshaw, and Affetside will cast their vote for a new representative after the shock departure of coun Luis McBriar earlier in the year.

In a week when there was much media attention to pipe organs becoming an endangered species, organists were at large in the borough - Middleton to be precise.

An MP for Heywood and Middleton North has welcomed the formal start of a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs across England and Wales.

A major fire has caused extensive damage to Lodge Mill in Middleton, leaving the building largely destroyed and prompting an urgent community fundraising appeal.

A Rochdale woman has organised an Easter initiative bringing entertainment and gifts to residents at a local dementia hub.

A new Polish academy has opened in Rochdale, offering language lessons and cultural activities for local families and residents.

New solar panels have been installed at a primary school and a family hub in Rochdale borough, with thousands of pounds in annual energy savings expected.

A charity in Langley is launching plans to turn two pieces of land beside Status 4 All Leisure Garden and Allotments into a new nature and wildlife space.

A stunning bronze bust of Rochdale mayor councillor Janet Emsley has been unveiled at the town hall.

A council surveyor said that a building in Oldham town centre was in ‘no immediate danger’ – just three weeks before it dramatically collapsed.

Rochdale is vying to become the UK’s first ever town of culture. The council has announced their intention to bid to become the UK Town of Culture 2028, a national competition launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Police were called to reports of a concern for welfare in Heywood and found a man dead at the scene.

Oldham’s brand new £40m market opened on Saturday morning.

The major wildfire that broke out on Scout Moor should not impact the planned wind farm scheme for the moorland, it is believed.

One of the iconic Seven Sisters tower blocks in Rochdale has been evacuated due to a burst water pipe. Mitchell Hey block residents have been moved from their homes by social housing landlord Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) after the major leak was identified earlier this month.

Emergency services responded to a major fire at a mill in Middleton early on Sunday morning, with residents urged to keep windows and doors closed.

The High Sheriff of Greater Manchester has praised volunteers at a Rochdale charity while warning of growing pressure on its services.

Construction has started on 33 new apartments close to Rochdale railway station as part of wider regeneration plans around the borough’s transport hubs.

A couple from Rochdale who have fostered more than 300 children over five decades have been recognised for their long service to families across the borough.

A new poetry anthology featuring work from more than 80 local writers has been launched in Rochdale, marking the borough’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.

Five people have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into a shooting in Rochdale earlier this month. Police say enquiries are continuing and additional patrols remain in place.

More than 5,800 patients in Bury have benefitted from social prescribing over the past year, with participants describing the service as life changing and in some cases life saving.

As part of Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture 25-26 a brand-new poetry anthology, Weaving Words, was launched at the Rochdale in Rhyme event at Number One Riverside

Inconsiderate dog owners will be slapped with £100 fines under new rules from Rochdale Council.

A new indoor padel facility will be built inside an industrial unit in Rochdale. The plan for 10 padel courts, reception, café and shower facilities has been approved by the local authority.

A new apartment block and terraced housing could soon be added to the Kirkholt estate in Rochdale.

A group of young performers are set to appear alongside experienced actors in a new staging of Antigone at a local theatre in Ramsbottom.

DANCERS from Whitworth Community High School earned themselves a place in the Lancashire final, when they will compete in Blackpool with the county’s best.

TWO superb songs saw Whitworth Community High School win the Rochdale Music Service High School Choir of the Year title.

Two Middleton businesses have responded after appearing on a government list of employers who failed to pay the minimum wage. The companies say the findings do not reflect the full circumstances and that any underpayments were corrected.

Rochdale MP Paul Waugh has joined a national campaign alongside a television athlete to call for stronger protections for children using social media and smartphones.

Plans for how £20m of government funding will be used to regenerate Heywood have been approved, allowing projects to move forward.

A Middleton man is set to walk around 348 miles to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after his son was born with a serious heart condition.

Youth centres across Rochdale borough will be improved following more than £100000 in new funding. Work is expected to be completed by May 2026.

A dedication service in Langley has marked the naming of several streets and a park in honour of four soldiers with strong links to Middleton. The event brought together families, leaders and residents on Saturday 21 March.

A housing worker from Greater Manchester has joined a European training programme aimed at expanding expertise in tackling homelessness.

AN INCREDIBLE ski trip saw 40 students from Whitworth Community High School take to the slopes in Kitzbühel in Austria.

Bury North MP James Frith visited a housing development in Walmersley to meet an award winning site manager recognised for national construction standards.

A new monthly artisan market has been launched in Middleton, bringing independent traders and handmade goods to the town centre on the last Sunday of each month.

Rochdale Borough Council has approved £3.2m in funding to create new school places for children and young people with special educational needs across the borough.

Young readers from across Rochdale gathered at the Children’s Library to receive awards in a borough wide World Book Day competition led by local MP Paul Waugh.

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.