Three new neighbourhoods, 6,000 more homes

Tuesday, 3 February 2026 11:08

By Charlotte Hall

Details of a plan to build three new neighbourhoods in Bury with almost 6,000 homes have been revealed.

Plans for Elton Reservoir, Walshaw and Simister Bowlee will feature three new primary schools, new health facilities, five new community centres, as well as sports pitches and playgrounds.

Formerly greenbelt land, the three areas have been allocated for housebuilding under the Places for Everyone masterplan since 2024.

Townhall bosses are due to approve draft development frameworks at a scrutiny meeting on Tuesday, February 10. Members of the public will then be invited to comment on the schemes, which will help shape the final masterplans.

Council leader Eamonn O’Brien said:

This is about more than just building new homes – it’s about shaping places where families can grow and where people have the schools, transport links, and amenities they need to thrive. Together, these developments will provide lasting benefits for Bury and the wider region for generations to come.

Elton Reservoir

Elton Reservoir, an area just half a kilometre north of Radcliffe town centre, would be turned into 3,250 new homes. Around half the site would be retained as green space around the reservoir itself.

Six new residential areas would be built to the south and south-west of the lake, with a mixture of housing types – including around 25 per cent affordable and social housing. The plans also include a new two-form primary school, with the Star Radcliffe Academy secondary school at Spring Lane already due to be completed by summer 2026.

The masterplan also includes three high street areas, which could host retail, health and/or community centres.

Walshaw

Located between Walshaw Village and Woolfold, the agricultural area would house up to 1250 homes once the plans are approved. Around 300 of the houses would be classed as affordable – a mixture of affordable and social rent, and affordable homes to buy.

The site will retain space for a new primary school, as well as a new playing pitch and plenty of green spaces.

The plans feature several new highways, with incorporated active travel elements such as bike lanes.

In the plans produced by Stantec on behalf of the council, a consultant writes: “This development will aid the creation of neighbourhoods for Elton and Walshaw where residents can access everyday facilities on foot, whilst staying well connected to high quality services and jobs through convenient, direct and sustainable travel links.”

Simister/Bowlee

The Simister & Bowlee site straddles the border of Bury and Rochdale, in a wedge of land between Prestwich and Middleton. A total of 1,550 new homes are tipped for the site, with around 1,350 of them falling on the Bury side.

The neighbourhood is intended as an extension of Atom Valley, a project to build facilities for advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs in the Northern part of Greater Manchester. The new residential area could house employees at a convenient distance from the new workplaces.

Coun Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale council, said: “This new framework represents another important step forward for this area as part of the wider Atom Valley project, which will create thousands of highly skilled jobs and new homes in Rochdale and Bury.”

In the draft plan prepared by both local authorities, the homes would once again be a mixture of commercial and affordable housing, and come with an upgraded local highway network. Green spaces and a local centre, which could include health centres and shops, are also a part of the plan.