RADCLIFFE Civic Suite is set to be demolished to make way for a multi-million pound affordable housing development, the Radcliffe Times can reveal.

A new leisure and entertainment venue will then be built on the site of the former Radcliffe Pool, in Green Street.

The new combined leisure facility will also act as a replacement for the temporary Radcliffe Leisure Centre, which is currently housed on the former Radcliffe Riverside High School site in Spring Lane.

It is hoped building can be completed on the new multi-function venue in two to three years' time, but the Civic Suite is set to close from April 17 next year to meet grant funding requirements and building timescales.

The housing project, which will see 40 high-quality affordable homes built in the Thomas Street area, is being partly financed by a £1 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.

It is estimated that the homes, which will be built in partnership with Great Places Housing Group, could be completed six to nine months after the site is cleared.

The two-pronged development plan for Radcliffe is seen as part of ongoing efforts to regenerate the town centre.

Councillor Rishi Shori, Deputy Leader of Bury Council, said: "Ongoing regeneration in Radcliffe is important to us and we’ve kept to our promises on this.

"In the last year alone we have opened the new swimming pool and leisure centre in Spring Lane, carried out a £1 million refurbishment of Radcliffe Market Hall, and ensured the construction of a new bus station. A new retail-led development in the town centre is on its way very soon too.

"This housing scheme presents us with a fantastic opportunity to provide much-needed affordable homes, and the resultant closure of Radcliffe Civic Suite gives us a real opportunity to expand our vision for leisure for the town.

"The housing grant is strictly time limited and site specific, and we must take advantage of this opportunity now, or we would lose it."

Local residents have the chance to have a say on what they want from the proposed new leisure and entertainment venue, with the council carrying out a survey until December 18.

Cllr Shori added: "We know quality leisure facilities have a vital role to play in improving the health and wellbeing of our communities and we're now looking closely at how we can provide a modern, sustainable leisure and entertainment venue that meets the long-term needs of the community.

"To help us with this, we want as many people as possible to respond to our survey - we need to build-up a detailed picture of what residents in Radcliffe want for the future."

Customers who have made bookings at Radcliffe Civic Suite beyond its closing date will be contacted by Bury Venues and offered alternative arrangements at one of the council’s other centres. There will be no charge for moving venue, despite other centres usually costing more to use.

People can download an information leaflet and take part in the survey by visiting www.bury.gov.uk/radcliffe-regeneration, or pick up a leaflet and a copy of the survey from Radcliffe Civic Suite, Radcliffe Leisure Centre or Radcliffe Library.