Prominent offices overlooking bus station and shopping centre set to become ‘high-end’ flats

Wednesday, 16 July 2025 14:45

By Chris Gee

Much of a prominent Bury town centre office building could be converted into 28 flats.

Lester House, a four-storey building at the junction of Market Street and Broad Street, overlooks the town’s bus interchange and Millgate shopping centre.
Plans submitted to Bury council in the past week propose a conversion of the the second, third and fourth floors to residential apartments.

A single apartment also proposed on the first floor. The remainder of the first floor will continue to be used as office space.

The ground floor of Lester House, which was built in the 1990s, is occupied by retail units, including a number of fast-food takeaways, the latest of which operates until midnight.

A statement by the applicant Long Avenue Estates has been published on Bury council’s website. It said: “The proposed development is for 28 flats.

“There will be 27 flats on the top three floors, and one flat on the first floor.
“The remainder of the first floor will continue to be used as retail space.

“The ground floor will remain unchanged. “Car parking will be retained in the basement and there will be 20 parking spaces.

“All flats are within the national space standards.”

The plans state 20 of the flats will be for one person. There would be six three person flats, one two-person and a single four person apartment.

The statement, added: “The applicant has undertaken a review of housing demand in the area and considers that this type of property is very much in demand for the area and would be an appropriate use for the building, providing well maintained and high-end accommodation in a very sustainable location.”

Planners at Bury Council will consider the plans in the coming weeks.