Bury wins Purple Flag for 6th consecutive year

Bury town centre has been accredited with Purple Flag status for a 6th consecutive year in recognition of its thriving night-time economy.

Bury is one of only two town centres in Greater Manchester to have received the prestigious accreditation in Greater Manchester to fly the Purple Flag.

Purple Flag is a town and city centre award – similar to the Green Flag for Parks and Blue Flag for beaches – which promotes excellence in the evening and night-time economy and aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between 5pm and 5am.

Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award again in recognition of the ongoing excellence of Bury town centre.

“A huge number of organisations have worked together to make our town centre a welcoming and successful destination: from the council and the police to pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues, retail and transport operators, to our dedicated street pastors.

“Covid posed huge challenges and, in recognition of the importance of the town centre, we put extensive resources into ensuring that businesses could get through the worst of it: from universal grants and targeted help for the arts and the taxi trade, to the appointment of Covid marshalls and business support officers.”

Bury was the inaugural Greater Manchester Town of Culture in 2020. This was rolled forward to 2021 due to pandemic, and a programme of online activity including streaming of live music, theatre and participatory events, has helped to keep the Bury town centre offer in front of audiences during the lockdown and Covid restrictions.

Cllr Morris added: “Recovering from the pandemic remains our top priority, and a town centre growth and recovery board along with ‘welcome back’ funding has been created to enable that.

“Our prospects have also received a boost with the award of £20 million to improve the area around Bury Market, money for a new transport interchange, and plans to bring another hotel to the centre.”

Arnold Wilcox-Wood, centre director of The Rock, said: “Bury has once again been awarded the Purple Flag award that recognises the attraction of Bury to customers and visitors to the town in the evening. From security to cleaning and the provision of the retailing offer to the appeal of the leisure and eating facilities and good transport options, Bury has ticked all the boxes which puts it at the forefront of all the competing towns. Let’s fly the Purple Flag in Bury!”

Victoria Robinson, chair of the town centre steering board and CEO of The Met, added: “It’s been an extraordinary year, to say the least. Our town centre attractions have really been through the mill due to coronavirus restrictions, and we’ve all worked tremendously closely to get through it. The same partnership work will ensure that we recover fully from the pandemic and Bury town centre is in the best position to thrive for many years ahead.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 4 November 2021.

Picture: Raising the Purple Flag again (from left) Chief Inspector Jamie Collins (neighbourhoods, Bury North Command area); Victoria Robinson; Cllr Charlotte Morris; Sgt Martyn Bannister; Tom Sharman, chair of Bury Pubwatch and owner of House of Bridget/Elephants Trunk; and Arnold Wilcox-Wood.