Crewe’s regeneration accelerates

Cheshire East Council has given an update on Crewe town centre’s £100m+ regeneration programme and all that is set to be delivered for the town in 2025.

The past 12 months have seen Crewe celebrate several key achievements, with many regeneration and development projects getting underway and due for completion this year.

Many of these are supported by external funding, including from the Government’s Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund. 

Councillor Michael Gorman, chair of Cheshire East Council’s economy and growth committee, says the town is set to see ‘a significant amount of activity taking place’.

Cllr Gorman added:

“Together, they will provide the environment and facilities needed to drive footfall in the town as part of our approach to diversify the town centre, rather than just rely on the struggling retail sector,” 

Last year saw the opening of a new bus station in May and the multi-storey car park in July, which provided modern transport facilities for residents and visitors to the town centre. 

The car park provides the capacity needed for when other car parks are redeveloped, as is the case with the former Oak Street and Lyceum Square car parks.

It allows the council to explore plans to bring new investment, homes and jobs on other sites in the town centre. 

The council expects to make an announcement by March about visual improvements to the cleared site next to the bus station and multi-storey car park, as well as ‘meanwhile’ uses, and is planning to carry out changes this spring and summer.

Major new roads were completed around North West Crewe in the summer, to improve accessibility in the area, including around Leighton Hospital.

The project will enable further development to take place and create much needed housing. 

Eight other projects are being progressed that are supported by the Government’s Towns Fund – many of which took great strides forward last year. 

Pocket Parks: 

This project is led by Cheshire East Council and supported by Crewe Town Council. Major upgrades were completed to four local parks in 2024 – transforming them into more attractive and better equipped spaces. 

A further four parks are set to be completed this year in the Samuel Street, Lime Tree Avenue, Valley Park and Westminster Street areas, with a public consultation on plans for the latter two due to take place in April.

Transforming the civic and cultural quarter and building a history centre: 

Following demolition of the former library and car park in late 2023, works advanced in 2024 on the construction of a new and attractive pedestrian link between the Lifestyle Centre, Memorial Square and the Market Hall. 

This development, which includes a new two-storey entrance to the Magistrates’ Courts, and a new short-stay car park, will complete in March.

The project will also provide the new and attractive setting for one of two new history centres in Cheshire. These new facilities will co-host the county’s extensive archives, transform the way the archives service works and open up the collections to a whole new audience. 

This is a shared project between Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils. Work in Crewe recently got underway and will complete in 2026.

Repurposing our high streets: 

Led by Cheshire East Council, this project offers business support and grants of up to £30,000 to businesses that take leases on vacant commercial units in the town centre. 

Since it launched, 12 businesses have received grants and a further seven are currently making their way through the application process. 

Crewe Youth Zone: 

Construction of a state-of-the-art facility for young people on the site of the former Oak Street car park began in January this year. 

Led by national charity OnSide, the project has already involved many young people, including in its naming as ‘The Dome’.  

Major progress is expected in 2025, both in terms of construction and further fundraising, with a number of founder patrons having been secured – including prominent businesses with a local connection.  

These will help fund the running costs once it opens, with more funders in the pipeline in 2025. 

Mill Street Corridor: 

Led by Cheshire East Council, this will deliver a better connection and environment for people walking or cycling between the town centre and the railway station.

The first phase of this project – at the north end of Mill Street beneath the railway bridge – completed in November, and the next phase around Waverley Court and Dorothy Flude Retail Park is due to start this spring.

Cumberland Arena: 

Major upgrades are set to begin in March in partnership with Everybody Health and Leisure and will include new studios, meeting spaces, new accessible changing facilities and a spectator seating area. 

The upgrades will allow multiple activities to go on at the same time – something the site has never been able to offer previously.

Mirion Street youth facility: 

2024 saw the start of work on the site of the former Youth Club site at Mirion Street.  Led by Crewe Youth Club and South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club, this spring will see the completion of a brand-new boxing gym facility. 

Tony Davison, chair of Crewe Town Board, which oversees the Towns Fund projects, said:

“Last year, the Towns Fund programme for Crewe really progressed, and real benefits started to be felt, such as by businesses that have secured grants to open up in the town centre, or by those communities that have benefited from their local parks being transformed. 

“But as we head towards spring, many more of the Towns Fund projects will accelerate, and by the end of 2025, lasting benefits will have been made in places our local communities have told us they want to see change.”

Other projects taking place in the town are supported by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and include:

Southern Gateway: 

This will be another part of the route improving access for people walking or cycling between the town centre and railway station, connecting with both the Mill Street Corridor project to the south and the civic and cultural quarter to the north.

Works started on the site behind Dunelm and Home Bargains in early 2024 and included a new zebra crossing on Mill Street and a new shared cycleway/footway crossing on Vernon Way. 

The connection between High Street and Forge Street will complete this spring.The project will connect with the Mill Street Corridor scheme.

‘TADIC’: 

Housed in the former council offices next to the Municipal Buildings, this will provide high quality co-working and office space for local entrepreneurs and businesses, supporting more footfall and activity in the town centre.

Major refurbishment of the building started in early 2024 and will complete in April.

Read more about the Towns Fund programme.

Read more about the Future High Streets Fund programme.

Read more about the history centre project.