Plans in for Crewe Youth Zone
National youth charity OnSide has submitted an application to Cheshire East Council for the town centre facility.
Subject to approval, Crewe Youth Zone will be built on the Oak Street car park to the south of the town centre.
The professional team includes architect Seven, project manager and QS Walker Sime, structural engineer Ramboll, MEP designer Steven Hunt Associates, highways advisor SK Transport Planning and fire engineering specialist Clarke Banks.
Open seven days a week, Crewe Youth Zone will offer members the opportunity to access 20 activities each night, ranging from football, boxing and climbing to creative arts, music, drama and employability training.
Young people will also be able to access support from dedicated youth workers for just 50p per visit and £5 annual membership.
Crewe Youth Zone will be an independent local charity based on OnSide’s model, which has seen the charity develop 14 similar Youth Zones across the country, supporting 50,000 young people.
Plans were field in November for an Onside Youth Zone in Preston, while Caddick recently delivered a £5.5m facility for the charity in Warrington.
Crewe Youth Zone’s capital and revenue costs will be met from a number of financial contributions from Cheshire East Council, Crewe’s allocation from the government’s Towns Fund, various charitable trust and foundation grant funding bodies and the private sector.
Prior to opening, OnSide will work with the new Youth Zone to fundraise for the remaining building costs and the first three years’ running costs from a combination of private sector and philanthropic contributions.
Adam Poyner, head of property & construction for OnSide, said: “We have worked closely with Cheshire East Council to bring forward a Youth Zone that not only delivers our usual high-quality model but also achieves the aspirations aligned to Crewe’s regeneration aspirations for the town and in particular its Southern Gateway.
“This is a very exciting milestone for everyone involved and, most importantly, for the young people of Crewe.”
Doug Kinsman, chair of Crewe Town Board – which oversees Crewe’s Towns Fund investment programme – said: “Through our allocation of funding from the Towns Fund we want to deliver projects that will support the needs of our community and the wider area both now and in the future.
“Crewe Youth Zone would provide fantastic facilities for our young people, helping them to achieve their full potential, and I am really pleased to see that the project has reached such an important stage in its development.”
