Bury continues to be the only town in Greater Manchester to fly a nighttime economy “Purple Flag” a town and city centre award – similar to the Green Flag for Parks and Blue Flag for beaches – which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between 6pm and 6am.

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.

To achieve Purple Flag status renewal, the Bury team had to provide information relating to a number of criteria including cleanliness and safety, movement and transport, the range of attractions, entertainment and events, high quality environment and strong partnership working.

This was followed by a late night visit from external assessors in March to see the town centre in action. This is the third consecutive year that Bury has achieved the accreditation.

The assessors were particularly impressed with the strong partnership that has been built up over the last few years with key stakeholders, businesses, Pubwatch, street pastors and GMP all working together looking to continually improve the night time offer. The assessors also commented on the huge enthusiasm and pride in Bury.

The assessors were also impressed with the East Lancashire Railway Evening Diner Train which they viewed on the assessment, and have asked for further details about the attraction to be shared with other Purple Flag areas.