PLANS are in the pipeline to open two care centres to the public.

Town hall chiefs want to open a cafe and a hair salon at Elmhurst residential home in Whalley Road, Whitefield, which offers respite care and places for people with learning disabilities,

and at Grundy Day Centre in Wellington Road, Bury, which provides care for up to 75 people a day. Both are run by Bury Council.

Social enterprise Catering with Pride has been brought into run the Elmhurst cafe.

The council's health and wellbeing representative Cllr Rishi Shori said: "We have made a commitment to ensuring we get real value for money from local funds and, working with organisations like Catering with Pride, we are able to support local jobs, give young people and those with a learning disability valuable work and volunteering experiences and support local producers and suppliers.

"Using these fabulous facilities as a community bistro means that Elmhurst will become a thriving community hub."

While the cafe at Grundy is mainly for customers of the day service, the aim is to encourage the general public to use it, a council spokesman said.

Its adult services department has submitted two planning applications, seeking permission to change the use of the buildings.

People have until May 30 to contact the council with their comments.

The council's planning department is set to make a decision by July 2.