Step forward for rebuild of three Bury homes destroyed in gas explosion

Plans to rebuild three Bury homes destroyed in a suspected gas explosion have taken a step forward after new drainage proposals were put forward.

A woman in her 70s was hospitalised with serious injuries following the blast on Nelson Street in Fishpool in February 2024.

It caused the terraced 104 Nelson Street, where the explosion occurred, to be entirely demolished, alongside neighbouring end-of-terrace 106 Nelson Street.

There was also a partial destruction of number 102, which was impacted by both the blast and the demolition of its neighbouring home.

Developers were granted planning permission in November to rebuild all three properties in "as close to" their original form as possible.

Now they have set out the proposed drainage proposals for the three homes, which will need to be installed and connected to public sewers for the homes to be occupied.

Papers attached to the latest application, validated by Bury Council last week, say: "The buildings were subject to heavy damage following a gas explosion, and demolished due to hazard and safety conditions of the site.

"The existing drainage and other services were capped and buried for future works.

"The drainage provisions to the original buildings consisted of a standard rainwater gutter to the rear and a stone cornice gutter to the front, which continued through to the neighbouring properties along the terrace.

"The surface water was dispersed by a shared rainwater downpipe at regular intervals.

"The public sewer in the surrounding streets is a combined sewer serviced by United Utilities.

"The original foul and rear-surface water of these buildings connected into a combined public sewer under the street to the rear, Back Nelson Street South.

"The front surface water connected into the combined public sewer under the street to the front, Nelson Street.

"We are proposing to utilise the original drainage arrangement and connect to the public combined sewer system.

"The rebuilding of the demolished property has no changes or additional features that would increase the amount of surface water to the site. There will be no strain or additional volume added to the current public system.

"We have considered methods and systems to incorporate to the site to reduce the surface water discharge into the public sewer.

"Due to the site location, use, and constraints, we consider that no reasonably practical SuDS measures can be incorporated."

When plans were first submitted, developer Gateley Smithers Purslow says the three-bedroom end-of-terrace number 106 had a rear extension with living space, lounge, kitchen and bathroom.

A chimney, which had "not been in use for a number of years", will be removed.

Fewer details have been lodged for 104, while number 102 - a two-bedroom terraced home - will also be reinstated to its pre-blast condition.

In the 2025 documents, the developers said: "The appearance of the proposed buildings has been designed to match the original pre-destruction building and to maintain the street scene of Nelson Street.

"Our proposal has taken care to match the original in appearance, colour, size, materiality, and style.

"Minor changes to modern materials have been proposed due to the availability and cost of certain materials, in particular, the original painted stone to pre-cast concrete painted black."

Bury Council will review the drainage proposals and decide whether to discharge drainage conditions on the approved application at a later date.