Borough of Bury | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Motto: Forward in unity | |
 Bury shown withinGreater Manchester | |
| Coordinates:53°35′34″N2°17′53″W / 53.59278°N 2.29806°W /53.59278; -2.29806 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | North West |
| Ceremonial county andcity region | Greater Manchester |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
| Named after | Bury |
| Administrative HQ | Bury Town Hall |
| Government | |
| • Type | Metropolitan borough |
| • Body | Bury Metropolitan Borough Council |
| • Executive | Leader and cabinet |
| • Control | Labour |
| • Leader | Eamonn O'Brien (L) |
| • Mayor | Sandra Walmsley |
| • MPs | 2 MPs |
| Area | |
• Total | 99 km2 (38 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 197th |
| Population (2024)[3] | |
• Total | 198,921 |
| • Rank | 102nd |
| • Density | 2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcode area | |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-BUR |
| GSS code | E08000002 |
| Website | www |
TheMetropolitan Borough of Bury is ametropolitan borough ofGreater Manchester in England. It is north ofManchester, to the east ofBolton and west ofRochdale. The borough is centred around the town ofBury but also includes the other towns ofRamsbottom,Tottington,Radcliffe,Whitefield andPrestwich.[5] Bury bounds theLancashire districts ofRossendale andBlackburn with Darwen to the north. With a population of 198,921 in 2024, it is the smallest borough in Greater Manchester.[3]
Within the boundaries of thehistoric county ofLancashire, the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, which covers 99 square kilometres (38 sq mi),[6] was created on 1 April 1974, with the transfer of functions from theCounty Borough of Bury and the boroughs of Prestwich and Radcliffe, along with the urban districts of Tottington and Whitefield, and part of the urban district of Ramsbottom, all previously in Lancashire.
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury was created on 1 April 1974, by theLocal Government Act 1972 as one of the ten metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester. Prior to this, the area was represented by six other boroughs and districts:
In 2006, facing a budget shortfall of over £10 million, Bury Metropolitan Council decided to sell its painting byL. S. Lowry called"A Riverbank". The work, which depicts theRiver Irwell and cost £175 in 1951, was expected to fetch between £500,000 and £800,000.[7] Between the announcement and the sale atChristie's, the council was accused of "selling off the family silver". The authority, which had the painting on display atBury Art Museum, said it was putting its people before a picture.[7] The painting raised £1.25 million for the authority on 17 November 2006 at the auction inLondon, costing the bidder £1,408,000 including commission.[7] Consequently, the council's membership of theMuseums Association was cancelled and it was deregistered by theMuseums, Libraries and Archives Council,[8][9] aquango that was disbanded in 2011, transferring some of its duties toArts Council England.[10]
In July 2008 the borough was the first in Greater Manchester to hold a referendum on whether to install adirectly-elected mayor.[11] This was the result of a campaign against congestion charge plans that raised a petition with 9,460 names, well above the required five per cent of voters needed to trigger a mayoral vote.[12] The proposal to have an elected mayor was rejected.[13]
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury currently consists of two parliamentary constituencies:
The borough has 17 wards, each represented by three councillors to form a council of 51 members. As of 2020, there were 148,595 electors, with an average of 2,914 per councillor.[14]
At the2023 Bury Metropolitan Borough Council election the average turnout to vote was 34.3%, varying locally from 45% in North Manor ward to only 25% in Bury East.
The borough falls under theGreater Manchester Combined Authority, and is represented by the council leader, Eamonn O'Brien.
The entirety of the borough isunparished.
The coat of arms contains symbols representing the six constituent towns, with the design based on the arms of the oldCounty Borough of Bury. Theshield is divided diagonally by interweaving alluding to thetextile industry. On the shield are a bee (representing industry) andpapyrus (papermaking) from Bury; a ram's head and a bullock's head represent Ramsbottom and Tottington respectively. The silver field represents Whitefield, whilst the shield is supported with figures from the crests of Radcliffe and Prestwich. These represent the Radcliffe andEgerton families and wear a red rose (forLancashire) and a cogwheel (for industry). Themotto 'Forward in Unity' sits on a scroll under the shield.
| Ethnic Group (2021 Census)[15][16] | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British | 151,528 | 78.2% |
| Pakistani | 15,148 | 7.8% |
| Other White | 6,730 | 3.5% |
| Any other ethnic group | 3,014 | 1.6% |
| African | 2,520 | 1.3% |
| Irish | 2,192 | 1.1% |
| Other Asian | 2,044 | 1.1% |
| Indian | 1,866 | 1.0% |
| White and Asian | 1,670 | 0.9% |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1,622 | 0.8% |
| Other Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups | 1,085 | 0.6% |
| Chinese | 1,055 | 0.5% |
| White and Black African | 746 | 0.4% |
| Bangladeshi | 480 | 0.2% |
| Other Black | 469 | 0.2% |
| Arab | 715 | 0.1% |
| Gypsy or Irish Traveller | 132 | 0.1% |
| Roma | 134 | 0.1% |
| Total | 193,846 |
At the2021 UK census, the Metropolitan Borough of Bury had a total population of 193,846.[17] The population density is 1,815/km2 (4,700/sq mi).[18]
When the Census was taken there were 74,335 households in Bury with an average of 2.4 persons in each one. In more detail, 39.4% of households were married couples living together, 28.9% were one-person households, 8.7% wereco-habiting couples and 10.7% were lone parents.[19] Of all the households 75.11% lived in houses they owned, with or without a mortgage, significantly higher than the national average of 68.07%.[20]
Of people aged 16–74 in Bury 42.93% were economically active in 2001, higher than the national average of 40.81%.[21]29.2% of this age group (16–74) had noacademic qualifications, slightly higher than 28.9% in all of England.[22]
5.8% of Bury's residents were born outside the United Kingdom, significantly lower than the national average of 9.2%.[23] The largest minority group was recorded as Asian, at 4% of the population.[24]
| Country/Region of Birth (2021 Census)[25][26] | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 170,444 | 87.9% |
| Middle East and Asia | 10,966 | 5.7% |
| Other Europe | 6,879 | 3.5% |
| Africa | 2,818 | 1.5% |
| Ireland | 1,427 | 0.7% |
| The Americas and the Caribbean | 1,048 | 0.6% |
| Oceania, Antarctica and other | 236 | 0.1% |
| Total | 193,846 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 12,169 | — |
| 1811 | 14,987 | +23.2% |
| 1821 | 17,646 | +17.7% |
| 1831 | 22,331 | +26.5% |
| 1841 | 33,696 | +50.9% |
| 1851 | 38,613 | +14.6% |
| 1861 | 61,749 | +59.9% |
| 1871 | 84,885 | +37.5% |
| 1881 | 108,020 | +27.3% |
| 1891 | 117,677 | +8.9% |
| 1901 | 123,882 | +5.3% |
| 1911 | 130,415 | +5.3% |
| 1921 | 132,599 | +1.7% |
| 1931 | 134,825 | +1.7% |
| 1941 | 138,276 | +2.6% |
| 1951 | 141,817 | +2.6% |
| 1961 | 157,142 | +10.8% |
| 1971 | 174,165 | +10.8% |
| 1981 | 175,459 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 179,168 | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 180,612 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 185,060 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 193,846 | +4.7% |
| Source:"Bury District: total population". Vision of Britain. Source 2:"Bury (Metropolitan Borough, United Kingdom) with population statistics, charts, map and location". | ||
The historical population table details the population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the last available census data. Although the Metropolitan Borough of Bury has only existed since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, andcivil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the borough.
In 1971 34,980 people living in Bury were employed in manufacturing. By 2001 this had fallen to 13,690 – a decrease of 61%. During the same period the numbers of people employed in service industries increased from 34,200 to 54,227, a gain of 58.5%.[27]
At the 2021 UK census, 48.8% of people in Bury stated they wereChristian. 29.4% of people stated they had no religion, 9.9% following theMuslim and 5.5% theJewish faiths.[28] The Jewish community in Prestwich and Whitefield is the second largest in the country.[29]
| Religion (2021 Census)[30][31] | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 94,669 | 48.8% |
| No religion | 57,008 | 29.4% |
| Muslim | 19,243 | 9.9% |
| Jewish | 10,734 | 5.5% |
| Not answered | 9,591 | 4.9% |
| Hindu | 874 | 0.5% |
| Any other religion | 649 | 0.3% |
| Sikh | 575 | 0.3% |
| Buddhist | 508 | 0.3% |
| Total | 193,846 |
Bury is covered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford,[32] and theAnglican Diocese of Manchester.[33]
There are four Grade I listed churches in Bury. TheChurch of All Saints, at Stand inWhitefield, was built in 1826.[34] TheParish Church of St Mary, Radcliffe, is a 14th-century church with a 15th-century tower.[35] TheChurch of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, is a 15th-century church.[36][37] The currentChurch of St Mary the Virgin, Bury, was built in 1876 by J. S. Crowther.[36][38] Of the nine Grade II* listed buildings in Bury, two are churches:Christ Church,Walshaw and the Presbyterian Chapel inAinsworth.[39]
There are around SIXMosques in Bury,[citation needed] including one of the oldest Islamic seminaries in the United Kingdom,[citation needed]Darul Uloom Bury, which was established in 1979 inHolcombe.
The original Jewish immigrant community in Manchester was based in the inner city. As in other cities the community gradually moved outward geographically and upward economically from its roots establishing itself in the more leafy suburbs ofCrumpsall andBroughton Park as well as the town ofPrestwich. Later, a second migration of young families in the mid-1960s sought pastures even further away from these traditional areas settling inWhitefield, Sunny Bank andUnsworth.[40] There are now about 10 synagogues in the borough.[41]
Between 1974 and 1986, theConservative Party controlled the council. In 1986, theLabour Party gained control and continued in power, at first with an overall Labour majority and subsequently through a Labour executive running the council in a state ofno overall control, until 2007. The May elections in 2007 saw the Conservative Party become the largest group on the council and the Conservative Group took control of the council and its executive. The leader of the council was named as Councillor Bob Bibby. At the2008 local elections, the Conservatives won three more seats and took overall control of the council. In 2010, the Conservatives lost overall control with the new council having 23 Conservative, 20 Labour and 8 Liberal Democrat councillors.[42]
TheAudit Commission[43] reported in 2006 that Bury Council continues to make good and sustained progress in improving services for local people. Overall the council was awarded 'three star' status, similar to 47% of all local authorities.
The council was said to be improving well in children's services, particularly in social care. The Audit Commission also noted that resident satisfaction was rising, reflecting improvements in the quality of the environment and services generally. Ten parks have achievedgreen flag status,recycling levels are above average and street cleanliness is improving. The council is on target to reach itsDecent Homes target by 2010.
The assessment concluded that the council has improved the way it uses its resources to deliver its plans, improving how it manages its finances and service performance and strengthening arrangements to make sure that it achieves good value for money.
There are 60 primary schools, 13 secondary schools, three special schools and twopupil referral units in the borough.[44] Overall, Bury was ranked 23rd of the alllocal education authorities in SATs performance and 3rd in Greater Manchester in 2006.[45] In 2007, Bury LEA was ranked 45th out of 148 in the country – and third in Greater Manchester – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least five A*-C grades atGCSE including maths and English (47.8% compared with the national average of 45.8%).[46] The schools of the area compete annually in the Bury Schools Athletics Championships.
The borough has two colleges offurther education.Bury College, which was originally Bury Technical College. In 1974, it merged with Radcliffe Technical College to form the Bury Metropolitan College of Further Education and, in 1987, it was renamed Bury College following its merger with Peel Sixth Form College, Stand Sixth Form College and a number of Youth Training Schemes.Holy Cross College was formerly Bury Convent Grammar School. It was adirect grant Catholic girls' school founded in 1878 by theDaughters of the Cross, acongregation of religious fromLiège. In 2007 it was named 7th in the country.[clarification needed]
Bury is also home to one of the UK's oldest Islamic seminaries,[citation needed]Darul Uloom Bury, which was established in 1979 and located inHolcombe.
As of February 2004, Bury has five Grade I, eight Grade II*, and 228 Grade II listed buildings.[47]
Bury is at the heart of the largest public art scheme in the UK – theIrwell Sculpture Trail. Works in the borough includeUlrich Ruckriem's sculpture in Radcliffe, on the site of the formerOutwood Colliery. Ruckreim[48] is one of Germany's most eminent artists, best known for his monumental stone sculptures. His work at Outwood is one of his largest stone settings to date.Edward Allington'sTilted Vase sits in Market Place in the centre of Ramsbottom and has become a distinctive feature of interest.
There are sixlocal nature reserves (LNRs) in the borough:[49]
The Metropolitan Borough of Bury has five twin towns, in China, France, Germany and the United States.[59][60][61] Two of these were originally twinned with a place within the Metropolitan Borough prior to its creation in 1974.
| Country | Place | County / District / Region / State | Originally twinned with | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Datong | Shanxi | Metropolitan Borough of Bury | 2003 | |
| France | Angoulême | Poitou-Charentes | County Borough of Bury | 1959 | After which the 'Angoulême Retail Park' and the road 'Angouleme Way' are named. |
| France | Tulle | Limousin | Municipal Borough of Prestwich | 1969 | |
| Germany | Schorndorf | Baden-Württemberg | Metropolitan Borough of Bury | 1994 | |
| United States | Woodbury | New Jersey | Metropolitan Borough of Bury | 2000 |
The following individuals and groups have received theFreedom of the Borough of Bury.
 |
| Name | Date Granted |
|---|---|
| Danny Boyle | 11 May 2009 |
| Zoe Robinson | 11 May 2009 |
| Members of the BandElbow (Guy Garvey, Craig Potter, Mark Potter, Peter Turner, and Richard Jupp)[62] | 11 May 2009 |
| * 207 (Manchester) Field HospitalRoyal Army Medical Corps[63] | 20 October 2017 |
| Kieran Trippier[64] | 14 July 2018 |
| Henry Donn[65] | 4 April 2022 |
| Roy Walker[66] | 15 December 2022 |
| Geographic | |
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| Other | |
