Partners welcome good news for Crewe
2 October 2020
A range of partners involved in bringing about change for Crewe are welcoming good news this week after a series of announcements and milestones have been reached – taking the town a step closer to achieving its future vision.
Partners, consisting of the Crewe Cultural Forum, Crewe Town Board, HQ Theatres, Crewe Town Council and Cheshire East Council, have all welcomed the news that;
- The demolition of the vacant shops at the Royal Arcade site will start to take place in mid-October;
- £750,000 of accelerated funding has been awarded from the Towns Fund to improve the Lyceum Square in Crewe;
- A new operator has been secured to manage Crewe markets for the next five years, including the remodelled Crewe Market Hall, ahead of its anticipated opening next year; and
- Crewe Town Council has been successful in securing funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund to employ a heritage project officer for Crewe.
Councillor Sam Corcoran Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “This signals the next exciting stage of regeneration for Crewe town centre and follows in the footsteps of the Lifestyle Centre and University Technical College.
“This news helps to form part of the wider long-term vision for Crewe and is the start of a chain of exciting investment announcements. We will build connections that will benefit the town, its community, businesses and residents of Cheshire East.
“We recognise Crewe has been waiting a long time for change and the on-going pandemic has certainly added to this, however, now is the time for action.
“We could talk about these projects in isolation but if you take them as a collective it starts to show first steps to Crewe’s wider-transformation and how we are getting things done together.
Demolition of the Royal Arcade
The demolition date of the vacant shops at the Royal Arcade site has been agreed between Cheshire East Council and its developer Peveril Securities Ltd, leading the way for the site to be clear by May 2021.
The demolition works, which will begin this month, will see the final services disconnected and asbestos removed ahead of machinery arriving on-site, ready for the site’s demolition.
Councillor Nick Mannion cabinet member for environment and regeneration, said: “The current Royal Arcade site has been deteriorating for years and its removal makes way for Crewe’s new offer which includes a cinema, leisure and retail opportunities (subject to contracts and planning permission). The sites removal will also save the council maintenance costs.
"We recognise the concerns about the clock tower and have worked hard to ensure that the clock faces and mechanism will be relocated to the Crewe Heritage Centre initially to be stored for potential reuse in the future.
“There will also be hoardings around the site, designed to keep people safe while the demolition takes place, which will feature designs, imagery and information. This is good news for Crewe.”
The developer, Peveril Securities Ltd is managing the demolition works directly and will be updating their Royal Arcade website with additional information and visuals in line with new Crewe town brand over the coming weeks. The updates will be available at www.royalarcadecrewe.co.uk
£750,000 accelerated funding has been awarded from Towns Fund
Crewe Town Board has been awarded £750,000 for an improvement scheme developed by the Crewe Cultural Forum for the Lyceum Square.
This is accelerated funding from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund and has been awarded to the partners in Crewe through the Crewe Town Board to help the town to ‘build back better’.
The project named ‘Ly2’ seeks to bring physical enhancements to Lyceum Square and its adjoining areas.
This will provide a significant outdoor space with infrastructure to hold open air events and animation activities including culture/arts with the participation of residents and visitors.
The benefits of the investment will include:
- Encourage increased footfall into the town centre;
- Enhance and support the offer of the £3m Market Hall Development;
- A critical outdoor area in which to enjoy performances and entertainment from the Lyceum Theatre as well as festivals and special events created with and by local people and businesses; and
- Help bring the community together.
It is anticipated that the development will provide economic regeneration opportunities for small businesses and will be an improvement to the vitality of the town centre.
Adam Knight, Director of Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Town Board member and Chair of the Cultural Forum: “The awarding of £750k accelerated funding for the re-imagining of Lyceum Square as a high-quality, community focused creative events space is a hugely exciting development.
“Crewe is people-powered and this project recognises and builds on the collective ambitions of local people as expressed through the work of the Crewe Cultural Forum, August’s Covid-safe CreWE CREATE grassroots activities, the Lyceum’s creative engagement programme and through successful destination events like WaveField, trAction and LUMEN.
“As the town comes together to realise a new vision for the future, this funding underlines the possibilities of what can be achieved through collaborative working and the approach taken by Cheshire East Council, Crewe Lyceum & HQ Theatres, Crewe Town Council and the newly formed Town Board in securing these funds.”
Doug Kinsman, Chair of the Crewe Towns Board, said: “This is great news for Crewe and perhaps even more significant at this time with Covid-19 still causing so many challenges for us all. The time frame available to work-up a compelling proposal was extremely tight so I would like to congratulate all of those who were directly involved in getting this successful submission over the line. The hard work really starts now to ensure that we design, create and deliver an inspiring, engaging and inclusive project that showcases Crewe’s intent and starts to build back some Civic pride.”
For more information on the Crewe Town Board, visit: cheshireeast.gov.uk/crewetownboard
The Crewe Market Hall has successfully secured an operator
Cheshire East Council is pleased to announce a new operator has been secured to manage Crewe markets for the next five years, including the remodelled Crewe Market Hall, ahead of its anticipated opening next year.
Opening five days a week, the refurbished Market Hall will be brimming with high-quality, fresh food and independent eateries and retailers, while also featuring pop-up stalls and events.
There will be a regular programme of activities and demonstrations and flexibility for the building to be opened up during the evening for events, entertainment and other themed activities.
Cllr Mannion added: “Crewe is a town that’s very much growing and we are committed to its regeneration.
“We are delighted to have an operator that shares our vision for revitalising Crewe’s markets and look forward to the role they will play in the town centre’s wider regeneration.”
Philip Cox, chief executive of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, said, “Crewe is an important priority for us and the subject of significant on-going investment. We are delighted to see real progress being made on the ground, which is good news for residents and the business community.”
The Market Hall redevelopment project is part of the Crewe town centre regeneration programme, which is supported by £10m in funding from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.
More information can be found at cheshireeast.gov.uk/crewemarkethall
Crewe’s heritage gets a boost
Crewe Town Council has been successful in securing funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund to employ a heritage project officer for Crewe. The project will look at the future of Christ Church as well as other aspects of the town’s heritage and seek to protect and promote the town’s historical assets and character.
Speaking on this, the council’s Regeneration Manager, Lindsay Lewis, said, “We are so pleased to be working with the Architectural Heritage Fund on this exciting opportunity for the town. We are now advertising for the project officer, which will be a 2- year fixed term post.
“Our aim is to bring this important building back in to use. As well as this, the officer will be looking into the other key projects, such as heritage plaques and trails and recording some of Crewe’s most attractive and iconic local buildings. Working with the town’s Heritage Working Group, the Diocese of Chester and Town Board partners we hope to share Crewe’s history of industry, skills and the community which built this town from the ground up.’
Information on the project and the new role are available via the council’s website as well as contacting the council directly via support@crewetowncouncil.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Demolition of the Royal Arcade
The demolition works are being managed by Peveril Securities Ltd, via their Contractor, Bowmer + Kirkland Ltd, together with various sub-contractors. The demolition sub-contractor is Cawarden Co Ltd.
The main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland Ltd will be taking possession of the site from Monday 5 October and conducting the initial site set up and mobilisation. The section 81 demolition notices will be placed on the existing hoardings next week.
Additional information will be shared on a regular basis, with visuals of the proposed work phases, dates for removal of the clock, road closures made available over the coming weeks. Exact timescales for these items are currently under further review. They also take into account the recent set up of the COVID-19 testing centre and the other logistical operations such as the existing bus station.
Crewe Towns Board:
Crewe Town Board will comprise of up to 17 board members, reflecting key stakeholders with local knowledge and influence Crewe’s long-term economic growth.
Appointments to the Crewe Board were made following an open invitation and appointment process and were approved by a Shadow Board that was established to undertake preliminary work in January 2020.
Initial Appointments (June 2020)
Doug Kinsman, SG World (Chair)
John Adlen, Cheshire & Warrington LEP
Andy Butler, Legat Owen
Rick Carter, CTC Healthcare
Paul Colman, South Cheshire Chamber
Jasbir Dhesi, Cheshire College (S & W)
Sally Hepton, Bentley
Pastor David Edwards
Mark Hills, Crewe YMCA
Adam Knight, Lyceum Theatre / HQ Theatres
Cllr Nick Mannion, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Regeneration, Cheshire East Council
Dr Kieran Mullan MP
Cllr Jill Rhodes, Leader, Crewe Town Council
Matt Tyrer, Acting Director of Public Health, Cheshire East Council
Simon Yates, resident
Further information on the Towns Fund, Town Boards (also known as Town Deal Boards) and Town Investment Plans have been published by the Government:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towns-fund-prospectus (November 2019)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towns-fund-further-guidance (June 2020)
Crewe Market Hall:
Local Growth Fund:
Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone.
That is why by 2021 Government will have invested over £12bn through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.
● There are 38 LEPs covering the whole of England.
● The government has awarded £9.1bn in three rounds of Growth Deals to local areas to drive economic growth.
● LEPs are investing in a wide range of projects including transport, skills, business support, broadband, innovation and flood defences.
Northern Powerhouse
The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the north and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK.
The government has awarded £3.4bn in three rounds of Growth Deals across the Northern Powerhouse.
Crewe Cultural Forum:
Crewe Cultural Forum is an informal collective of stakeholders, businesses, cultural and community organisations and residents who champion arts, culture and creativity in Crewe. Meetings are open to all. If you would like to join, please email creweculturalforum@cheshireeast.gov.uk