Castle Leisure Centre and the town’s former police headquarters are to be demolished and replaced by a supermarket.

Council chiefs have unveiled ambitious plans to redevelop Irwell Street, which will see the sports complex rebuilt opposite the town hall.

The new food store would only go ahead once the new leisure centre was constructed at Knowsley Place, on top of the Q Park.

The proposals were approved by the council’s cabinet last night.

Bury Council will enter into a three-year agreement with its development partner Ask, which will take the scheme forward and market the site at Irwell Street to potential food retailers and investors.

The planned leisure centre would be funded by the sale of the site and no public money is to be spent.

Cllr Mike Connolly, leader of Bury Council, said: “This is a fantastic proposal which we hope will bring yet more investment and jobs to Bury, following major developments in recent years such as The Rock. The success of The Rock has greatly enhanced Bury’s attractiveness to visitors.

“However, we also need to look at regenerating other parts of the town centre, such as Bolton Street.

“Studies have shown that we need an improved town centre food offer, which regenerates the derelict site of the police building and creates significant job opportunities for local people.

“We would also have new and sustainable high quality leisure facilities at Knowsley Place in a modern, more efficient environmentally friendly building.

“It would be ideally situated, close to the transport interchange, the new Premier Inn and the local colleges, and with car parking beneath it.”

He continued: “I want to reassure our staff and the thousands of leisure centre members that they will enjoy the very latest in leisure facilities and we hope they too will stay with us as we look to provide this new leisure centre for them and all our residents.”

Cllr Connolly added: “It’s early days, and I can’t go into the funding details at this stage, but these are ambitious and realistic plans that keep us one step ahead of the game.

“We are determined to keep this town and borough going forward and continue to make Bury a great place in which to live, work, study and to visit.”

If the foodstore goes ahead, it will mark the latest phase in the enviable renaissance and regeneration of the town centre which has seen the completion of the £350 million Rock shopping and leisure complex and the multi-million pound Knowsley Place development which includes the £10 million health centre and a £6.5 million Premier Inn.

And the thriving Chamberhall site in Bury currently occupies the town’s new £1.8 million fire station, which opened last year, and has been the home of the £16 million police headquarters.