THE council could spend up to £1.45m as it looks to plough ahead with regeneration plans in Prestwich more than a decade in the making.

Bury Council wants to become the “master developer” of the scheme, but pay an external company, Muse Developments, to manage the project.

The local authority, which agreed to buy the Istanbul restaurant in Bury New Road earlier this year, will now look to acquire the lease for the Longfield shopping centre.

It is understood that these properties could be demolished as part of the regeneration scheme.

Councillors approved the pre-development proposal at a cabinet meeting last night.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Labour councillor Eamonn O’Brien, who is the cabinet member for finance and housing, explained why the council is taking this new approach.

He said: “Residents in Prestwich have waited long enough for developers to bring forward plans for Prestwich. In fact, it has been over 10 years since the first regeneration proposals were published. We believe the people of Prestwich deserve better than having to wait around for the market to deliver a scheme.

“We’ve already seen how the council’s £2m investment in Prestwich High Street has benefited the town. Whilst most other high streets are dying, Prestwich is buzzing and has a growing offer of food and drink places that have added to its reputation as one of the best places to live in.

"On the back of this success, we’re keen to see the council take a more direct role in the town centre regeneration project and allow local residents to help shape what is delivered.

“So far, we have already won the support of Andy Burnham and the Greater Manchester Town Centre Challenge, so now we need to keep pushing forward and deliver for the people of Prestwich.”

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But Lib Dem councillor Steve Wright described the proposed strategy as “risky”.

The Prestwich representative noted that the council may have to borrow money to meet the pre-development costs of the scheme.

He said: “The Council is proposing to spend another £1.2m, mostly on consultants, and then borrow even more money to buy the Longfield Shopping Centre, that’s before a single brick is even laid. What matters most to us is that we get this right.

"The people of Prestwich need to be in the driving seat of what happens in the village centre. But, as the Bury New Road scheme shows, Bury’s Labour Council has a poor track record of listening to what people say in Prestwich. This needs to change if we are to get this right.”

Conservative leader James Daly said the council’s investment “cannot be justified”.

He said: “It would appear that Bury Council’s obsession of paying huge sums of money to outside consultants is continuing. £1.2m simply cannot be justified in these circumstances.

"It defies belief that the council have already committed £525,000 of taxpayers’ money for this restaurant which they intend to knock down without any detailed plans as to whether the proposed development is deliverable.”