A £50 million plan to expand Bury town centre is being put together by town hall bosses and private developers.

Bury Council has signed up with Thornfield Properties to look at bringing more shops, businesses and leisure facilities to town.

Already dubbed The Rock Triangle, the 5.3 hectare site is bordered by the non-pedestrianised portion of The Rock, Rochdale Road, the First Bus depot and Moorgate retail park.

The proposals may also include housing, quality public spaces and improved links with the rest of the town, particularly with the pedestrianised portion of The Rock.

Councillor John Byrne, council leader, said: "This development will strengthen the retail choice on offer in Bury town centre, helping to keep shoppers coming to the town.

"This area has been earmarked for development for some time, and we are delighted to enter into a partnership to bring our vision for Bury town centre closer to reality."

Planners say that the scheme is in its very early stages, with specific details about individual projects and job prospects a long way down the line. But it is thought that all the money will come from Thornfield, who may want to buy out existing businesses and council land. Bury planners and private consultants are preparing reports, and a strategic plan will be drawn up over the next few months.

Mr Peter Warden, development surveyor of Thornfield Properties, said: "This week we have written to all landowners and tenants and will be consulting widely over the coming months as we prepare a planning application for the scheme.

"We have looked carefully at the retail capacity of Bury town centre and found that only one in three shoppers who live in the area actually shop in Bury.

"By developing The Rock Triangle we will effectively be extending the town centre, improving its attractiveness, creating jobs and stimulating the economic prosperity of the town."