BURY is set for a cycling revolution following a £1.3m cash boost to fund four new schemes in the borough.

As part of Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham's Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund (MCF) approval for the projects' go-ahead is set to be rubber-stamped on Friday (January 28) by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Costing around £444,000, Bury Fishpool Active Neighbourhood will deliver new crossings on the A56 and Market Street to address access between Redvales, Fishpool and the town centre. A new bridge crossing over the River Roch will also provide direct access from the Fishpool area to the Pilsworth Industrial Estate.

Delivering a new bridge and shared path for pedestrians and cyclists, the Bury Radcliffe Bee Network will improve accessibility to the Radcliffe tram stop and see a new toucan crossing built on Church Street West.

Bury Pimhole Active Neighbourhood will provide new crossings on the A58 Rochdale Road, alongside other walking and cycling infrastructure improvements within the Pimhole and Willow Street estate area at a cost of around £290,000.

Finally, Bury Elton Bee Network will deliver a new bridge crossing over the River Irwell and the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, providing a route for both pedestrians and cyclists towards local schools and Bury town centre.

The four schemes will cost £1,293,305 and bring the total number approved to 63 at a cost of £34.6m.

Around £160m of Greater Manchester’s £243m Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) has been allocated to develop the MCF which has been designed to support and

deliver a network it is hoped will see a switch from cars to walking and cycling and see a reduction in pollutants and greenhouse gases.

By 2040 it is hoped 130,000 daily trips will have switched to cycling and walking from private car and taxi use, equating to around 735,000 less vehicle kilometres being driven per day,

Cllr Lucy Smith, the borough's transport cabinet member, said “It’s great news that these plans are set to be approved.

"Working with residents we want to open up more opportunities for people to walk and cycle for journeys we used to do by car. It’s better for our health and the environment.”