Elections for the council are just a day away – with a single seat in all the borough’s wards up for grabs. In Bury 17 of the 51 seats, one in each of the borough’s wards up are being contested.
Also under construction is a long-awaited and much delayed new high school for the town. Other issues pertinent to the area include green belt development and the upkeep of roads and pavements. Ron Makin, 53, has run flower shop Floral Design for the past year. He said: “I’m weeks – if not days – from going out of business and am throwing fresh stock away as there’s nobody coming into town. Look at it… people are staying away while all the work goes on.
She added: “The traders around here look after each other speak daily and we’re all saying the same thing – that the number of shoppers has fallen drastically in the last year. We’ll be surprised if the charity shops can stay open. She said: “It’s 3.30pm and I’ve taken around £5 in sales today. You just have to look outside to see how quiet it is.”