BURY Council has come under fire from MP James Daly for not applying to the Government’s £900 million “Getting Building Fund”.

The funding is aiming to encourage growth in areas around the country, with more than 400 projects submitted to the government for consideration.

However, council leader Eamonn O'Brien said that Mr Daly "knows very well how hard our staff have been working over the last six months dealing with Covid."

It was announced earlier this week that Greater Manchester local authorities would receive over £54 million in investment from central Government for “shovel ready” projects across the region.

It is anticipated that this investment will create more than 11,000 jobs in the investment areas and will also result in more than 1,000 homes being built across Manchester.

Of the 444 projects that were submitted to the Government for consideration, none were submitted by Bury Council, which Bury North MP Mr Daly has called "disappointing."

He said: "It is disappointing that whilst infrastructure investment is needed across Bury, Ramsbottom and Tottington, the local Labour Council have chosen to ignore £900 million of Government funding.

“The Government has invested money in a plethora of areas to assist local communities – from road investment in Heywood and investing in commercial regeneration projects in Manchester Central to Renewable Resources Centres and Green Construction Skills Centres elsewhere – all of which could have been made possible here in Bury."

Mr O'Brien said that the lack of application was due to the "incredibly narrow eligibility criteria" put forward by the government, which "frustrated" the council as much as anyone.

He added: "We have dozens of projects across the Borough where we are seeking external funding but none of these fit the criteria for this particular fund.

"Rather than hurl insults at our hardworking staff, Councillor Daly should focus on doing his own job and lobby the Government more effectively to broaden the criteria for future funding pots.

"However, so far, he has failed to stand up to his own Government on anything and remains silent on our urgent need for funding to keep vital frontline services running."

Projects that have been granted across the country range from £86k to update an access road and £3.7 million for a Business Cyber Centre all the way up to a Multi-University Research Super-Hub which will receive £14.6 million.

Two of the projects the Government have provided funding for in Greater Manchester are the South Heywood Link Road which received £10 million and the Mayfield Park development in Manchester Central which received £23 million.

Mr Daly added: "It has become clearly apparently that Bury MBC need to refocus and attempt to work with myself and the Government on plans to improve the town.

"Bury residents are being short-changed by this council’s wilful inaction.”