EAMONN O'BRIEN: 2024 is a key year for ambitious regeneration plans

For many of us, this is a time to rest and relax, to recharge the batteries for the year ahead but we should pause to pay tribute to all those key workers who were not able to do this.

They sacrifice a lot all year to look after us and especially so at the festive period, so we should never forget them.

Turning to 2024, this is very likely to be a hugely significant year for Bury and indeed, the United Kingdom.

The biggest decision facing us in the council will be how we set our budget for the next year.

For the last few months we have been leading a campaign calling for the broken system of funding to be fixed and for Bury to receive our fair share of resources to fund your local services.

This shouldn't be seen as a inward-looking debate on local government bureaucracy, or an accounting exercise that only exists on paper, this is about making sure residents get what they deserve.

For far too long, under this Conservative government, local taxpayers have been paying more and getting less. This is unfair and unsustainable.

Throughout 2024 we will continue to make our case for this and to be on your side when it comes to this most fundamental issue for us locally.

Bury Council leader Cllr Eamonn O'Brien (Image: Eamonn O'Brien)

We will also see 2024 as a key year for delivery of some of our ambitious regeneration plans.

Work is already underway on our two levelling up sites, with the necessary demolition works done in Radcliffe and planning permission and land assembly sorted for Bury.

This year we will see delivery accelerate on both as the hard work of the past few pays off.

The same is true for our plans elsewhere in the borough, with Ramsbottom and Prestwich both seeing early phase delivery of the longer term plans for the towns.

Whitefield too will keep progressing on our high street taskforce efforts, as we continue to look at key interventions we can make to this space.

All of this will require long term planning, resourcing and political commitment - all of which we are fully committed too.

Finally, we must see 2024 as a year where we keep improving our services to vulnerable children, those with special education needs and their families and carers.

This is an area under enormous pressure, with increasing complexity, but one that requires us to reach out and work differently than before.

Yes, extra resources would help a lot but there is still more we can do to improve the current offer and we plan to do so.

Overall then, 2024 will bring challenge and opportunity for Bury. As your Labour administration we will be on your side throughout all of it.