Plans to give Crewe Rail Station a massive overhaul and make it an iconic 21st century gateway to the town have been given a multi-million-pound boost today (Monday).
Cheshire East Council has warmly welcomed news that the joint project with Network Rail has been successful in its bid for £6.177m from the Government’s £100m rail stations improvement fund.
The scheme is central to the Council-backed ambitious plans to regenerate and revitalise the town centre and surrounding area. This vision is called ‘All Change for Crewe’
The new Government cash will fund the first phase of a comprehensive overhaul and enhancement of historic Crewe Rail Station and the adjoining former Royal Mail site. The land is owned by Network Rail and the Council. Phase one will include:
● A new surface-level car park of about 250 spaces;
● Improved facilities for taxis;
● A new area for people to pick up and drop off their family and friends;
● New ticket machines and passenger information displays;
● Reopening the pedestrian subway linking the new facility straight into platforms one to five and six to 11;
● A new area for servicing vehicles to access the station; and
● A new commercial development site to provide a business opportunity for activities, which will be ancillary to the station.
Over the past two years, consultants appointed to advise the Council, working with key stakeholders, have identified what they believe needs to be done to ‘unlock’ the huge potential of the town and surrounding area and turn it into a leading player in Britain’s 21st century economy.
Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, said of today’s announcement: “This is wonderful news and a keystone of long-term regeneration not only of the town centre but also the wider 20-year All Change for Crewe project. The station is vital to our work to enhance the attractiveness of Crewe as a place to live, work and do business.
“There is still a lot of hard work to be done – and we will not be complacent about this –but this funding announcement is a critical vote of confidence in the station, the town and wider regeneration scheme. A revitalised rail hub will be critical to boosting the town’s visitor economy and its attractiveness to business.”
It is hoped the £6.177m funding will be a springboard to attracting further investment from Government and the rail industry to achieve Cheshire East’s ultimate ambition for the redevelopment of the station.
Last November, Cheshire East’s main political parties united behind the ‘All Change for Crewe’ vision for the town.
The leaders of the local Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties joined the Mayor of Crewe to sign a historic ‘Concordat’, in a public show of support for moves to turn Crewe and the surrounding area into an ‘economic powerhouse’ by 2031.
Since then, the Council’s Cabinet backed the appointment of a dynamic ‘delivery executive’, Tom Russell, to lead and drive forward schemes for regeneration, galvanise all stakeholders and help turn Cheshire East’s ambitious vision for the revitalisation of Crewe into reality. The All Change for Crewe Partnership Board has also recently been launched to support the achievement of these objectives.
In a bold move, Cheshire East Council also bought the landmark former Royal Mail site in Crewe for £2.75m. The 4.5-acre Weston Road site became vacant when Royal Mail relocated its sorting offices to Stoke and Warrington.
The site is seen as a prime spot for a landmark development as part of ambitious plans to redevelop Crewe Rail Station and the town centre.
All Change for Crewe received another big boost with the announcement in September that nationally-renowned firm Expert Logistics was relocating to Crewe 360 – bringing 350 jobs to the town.
The short-term lease negotiated with Expert Logistics for the former Royal Mail site, to support the investment and transition process, was an important factor in its decision to relocate.
For further information about All Change for Crewe, visit the Council’s website at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/allchangeforcrewe
No comments:
Post a Comment