BREAKING: Bury South MP Christian Wakeford has defected to Labour

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• Conservatives select Emma Lee as candidate for Tottington by election

  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 returns for the 2026 season

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

• Inside the major refurbishment transforming Tenpin Rochdale

  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.

• Former Middleton pub could reopen as convenience store after closure

  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.

• Councillors raise concern over Riverside Housing sale of social homes in Middleton

  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.

• Heywood community raises £1799.65 as Donna Dolan shaves hair for Macmillan

  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.

• Road closure in Ramsbottom

  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.

• Rochdale families urged to shape national consultation on keeping children safe online

  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 erupts as Labour activists in Gorton and Denton say party is ‘not willing to change’

  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.

• Silver Street offices approved as temporary housing

  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.

• All the major projects Rochdale can expect from capital funding

  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 respond after people report illness at Bury premises

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