METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF BURY

Metropolitan Borough of Bury
EnglandBury.png
Geography
Status:	Metropolitan borough
Region:	North West England
Ceremonial County:	Greater Manchester
Historic County:	Lancashire
Area: - Total	Ranked 244th 99.48 km²
Admin. HQ:	Bury
ONS code:	00BM
Demographics
Population: - Total () - Density	Ranked / km²
Ethnicity:	93.9% White 4.0% S.Asian
Politics
Arms of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Bury Metropolitan Borough Council http://www.bury.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Conservative
Council Leader:	Bob Bibby
MPs:	★ David Chaytor (L) ★ Ivan Lewis (L)

The 'Metropolitan borough of Bury' is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in the northwest of England. Lying to the north of the City of Manchester, the borough consists of six towns: Bury, Ramsbottom, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, and has a population of 181,900.
The metropolitan borough, which is in land area, came into existence on April 1, 1974, with the transfer of functions from the county 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.

Contents

Parliamentary constituencies

Council control

Unparished Areas

Twin Towns

Lowry painting controversy

References

External links

Parliamentary constituencies

The Metropolitan Borough of Bury currently consists of two parliamentary constituencies:

★ Bury North - David Chaytor

★ Bury South - Ivan Lewis

Council control

Between the Borough's establishment in 1974 and 1986 the Conservative Party controlled the Council. Since 1986 the Metropolitan Borough of Bury has been controlled by the Labour Party either through an overall Labour majority or through a Labour executive running a Council in a state of no overall control.
2007 saw the Conservative Party become the largest group on the Council. Resultingly, on 16th May 2007 it was announced that the Conservative Group had taken control of the Council and its Executive. The new Leader of the Council was named as Councillor Bob Bibby.

Unparished Areas

Showing former status (prior to 1974)
The entirety of the borough is unparished.
# Bury (County Borough)
# Prestwich (Municipal Borough)
# Radcliffe (Municipal Borough)
# Ramsbottom (Urban District) (part)
# Tottington (Urban District)
# Whitefield (Urban District)

Twin Towns

;China

★ Datong, Shanxi province.
;France

★ Angoulême, Charente département

★ Tulle, Corrèze département
;Germany

★ Schorndorf
;USA

★ Woodbury, New Jersey

Lowry painting controversy

In 2006, facing a budget shortfall of over £10 million, Bury Metropolitan Council decided to sell its painting by L. S. Lowry called ''"A Riverbank"''. The work - depicting the River Irwell - cost £175 in 1951 and was expected to fetch between £500,000 and £800,000.
Between the announcement and the sale at Christie's, the council was accused of ''"selling off the family silver"''. The authority, which had the painting on display at Bury Museum and Art Gallery, said it was putting its people before a picture.
The painting raised £1.25 million for the authority on 17 November, 2006 at the auction in London, costing the bidder £1,408.000 including commission^[1].
The sale of the painting could result in the council being degreistered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, and lose educational grants of £25,000 per annum^[2].

References

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6157204.stm
2. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/227/227267_lowry_sale_could_cost_council_25000_a_year.html

External links

★ Bury MBC website