'The proud towns of Greater Manchester can have a really bright future' - Andy Burnham's vision for the future of our communities

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The towns in Greater Manchester have always held a fierce pride in their own sense of identity and community. Now, key players in shaping their future have laid out their vision for how they can reinvent themselves, while retaining the same sense of self.

The virtual event, hosted by Manchester Evening News on January 12, saw mayor Andy Burnham and Tim Heatley, co-founder of social impact developers Capital & Centric, alongside other key figures in local government and development meet to discuss the ‘exciting’ future of towns in the city region.

The panel were sharing the successes and challenges surrounding sustainable development and investments into Greater Manchester towns, as well as how a ‘joined-up approach’ with both the private and public sectors in the future could reinvigorate regional economies.

Speaking to the panel, mayor Andy Burnham said: “I speak not only as the mayor of Greater Manchester but also as a former MP for a Greater Manchester town. "I think we all feel our towns have got so much more to offer than they’ve perhaps been able to show in recent times. “With the change in industry in Greater Manchester, if you go back to the 60's, 70's and 80's some of those towns lost their way a little bit, and have been in that position for a while. “But now, as the city has become resurgent, I think the opportunities have increased for the towns.” He went on to praise the regeneration of Stockport as a ‘forerunner’ for what was hoped could happen to other towns, and also cited Rochdale town centre as a prime example of other areas which were starting to see this same rejuvenation.