THE borough is becoming cleaner and greener.

And it is thanks to Bury Council's £1.5m New Year's resolution to provide a range of environmental improvements.

Measures are being introduced to tackle environmental blight such as littering, fly-tipping, and invest in schemes to spruce up communities and provide cleaner, safer public spaces.

The Cleaner, Safer, Greener scheme got under way before Christmas with the the delivery of the first batch of 70 new street benches and a huge programme to plant more than 300,000 bulbs in parks, on roundabouts and other public spaces.

Work earmarked over the forthcoming months includes:

£180,000 for local initiatives through Bury's six area boards.

£70,000 to provide a neighbourhood play area at Clarence Park, Bury.

£90,000 for providing new youth "ball zones".

£570,000 on area environmental improvements in Radcliffe and East Bury.

£263,000 on improvements to the frontages of parks.

£20,000 on extending CCTV coverage to parks and play areas through the provision of a mobile unit.

£50,000 on improving street scene environmental standards.

£50,000 on new street furniture and signage.

£240,000 on the refurbishment of Close Park Front Elevation, Radcliffe.

Councillor Stella Smith, executive member for transport and environment said: "Our aim is to make the borough an even more pleasant place in which to live.

"This is a very exciting package of measures which will yield improvements in the environment for everyone who lives in the borough."

Bury Council's six area boards are currently deciding how to spend their share of the cash.