PLANS to provide Radcliffe with a new bus station have received a boost, after Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's Policy Committee agreed to allocate £50,000 toward the initial costs of developing a new facility.

Radcliffe's existing bus station was constructed nearly 20 years ago and is in need of substantial modernisation or replacement. GMPTE officers have therefore been working with colleagues from Bury MBC on proposals to replace the existing bus station as part of Bury MBC's wider aspiration for the redevelopment of Radcliffe town centre.

Chair of the Policy Committee, Councillor Andrew Fender, said: "The Authority is always aiming to improve the quality of local public transport facilities. We want to provide local bus facilities that will not only encourage more people to use public transport, but also complement local town centre regeneration initiatives.

"The funding allocated today will help to develop plans for a new bus station in Radcliffe that will meet these aspirations. I look forward to seeing the plans develop over the coming months."

Councillor Mike Connolly, the Authority's Bury spokesperson, added: "The provision of good bus facilities in Radcliffe is going to be a vital component of the town centre regeneration plans.

"Radcliffe's existing bus station is starting to look its age - so we're very keen to develop a new facility to provide the sort of high quality waiting environment that public transport users rightly expect to be in place."

A further report on progress will be submitted to the Authority for consideration later this year.