Crewe regeneration takes another step forward
The government has approved business cases for the creation of eight pocket parks and an improved area of public realm around a proposed new archive facility in the town centre.
The public realm projects form part of Crewe’s £22.9m Towns Fund award. The cash will support 10 schemes aimed at driving regeneration in the town.
Other projects that have already been rubber-stamped by Whitehall include the Flag Lane Baths Community Hub and Crewe Youth Zone.
Pocket parks
The pocket parks project is being developed by Cheshire East Council, ANSA Environmental Services – the council’s wholly-owned environmental services company –and Crewe Town Council.
The parks would be developed at Queen Street, Derby Docks, McLaren Street, School Crescent, Samuel Street, Lime Tree Avenue, Valley Park and Westminster Street.
Consultations with local communities are due to start next month.
As part of the overall project, local charity The Wishing Well, which provides a variety of services to improve the health and wellbeing of local people, is proposing to deliver a multi-use games area near Jubilee Gardens in Hightown.
History centre public realm
The history centre public realm scheme forms part of a wider plan to redevelop Crewe library into an archive.
The Crewe archive facility would be one of two developed across Cheshire. The site of the former Enterprise Centre on Lightfoot Street in Hoole, Chester has also been earmarked for redevelopment into a history centre.
In Crewe, the Towns Fund project, led by Cheshire East Council, will create new public space around the history centre, featuring “high-quality paving and planting areas, activity space, new seating and bike racks and public art”.
The clearance of the former library site to make way for the history centre is being supported by the Future High Streets Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“For us to now have a total of four projects at this stage is extremely exciting and shows confidence in our vision for Crewe,” said Doug Kinsman, chair of Crewe Town Board.
“It is of course also a huge leap forward in seeing these projects becoming a reality and local communities being able to enjoy the benefits.”
Business cases for the remaining six Towns Fund projects, which include a live music venue and creative skills centre for Crewe, will all be submitted to government by the end of summer for its agreement and sign-off.
