Cheshire East Council is celebrating securing £16m of Government funding that gives ‘the green light’ to construction of a key link road that will help unlock the economic potential of Crewe.
The £27m Crewe Green Link Road South project will be another major step forward in realising the long-term regeneration of the town and surrounding region – following the announcement on Monday of £6.177m Government investment in Crewe Rail Station.
Both schemes are 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 1.1km-long dual-carriageway link road, which will run between the A500 Hough-Shavington bypass and the A5020, will create an alternate bypass for Crewe, improving access to the A500 and M6 and alleviate traffic passing through the town.
It is also hoped it will unlock the potential of two major employment sites at Basford and help facilitate the creation of up to 12,500 jobs in high-value employment over the next 20 years.
Cheshire East Council Leader Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald said: “This announcement (on Tuesday, November 29) by the Chancellor is absolutely marvellous news – not only for Crewe but also for Cheshire East as a whole.
“At last people are listening to the needs of Crewe and aspirations can now begin to be turned into reality.
“This is a major project which is central to our All Change for Crewe plans to greatly enhance the future prosperity of Crewe and the surrounding region to make it a nationally significant economic centre by 2030 – with population growth and a highly skilled workforce to meet employers’ future need.
“It will support sustainable economic growth, improving connectivity between areas of deprivation to the north of Crewe, the town centre, the rail station and major employment opportunities to the south east.
“Securing the delivery of Crewe Green Link Road South has required us all, with our local MP Edward Timpson, to stand together behind our economic vision for Crewe and I think this has been a major factor in our recent successes.
“Alongside the announcement of £6.177m for Crewe Rail Station earlier this week, this latest funding will act as a catalyst for further commercial investment and demonstrates to the people of Crewe that this Council is fully committed to the economic growth and wider prosperity of not only Crewe but of Cheshire East as a whole.”
The new link road is a project with a long history and Cheshire East Council is delighted that it has unlocked the land assembly issues over the past two years and now secured the DfT funding required to make it a reality.
The Council and key developers have committed £6.65m and £4.13m respectively to meet the outstanding funding for the Crewe Green Link Road South.
Crewe and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson said: “I am delighted that the Chancellor has announced in his Autumn Statement that the Government is to go ahead and fund the proposed Crewe Green Link Road.
“I have lobbied George Osborne and successive Secretaries of State for Transport hard – both Labour and Conservative – to build this key piece of highway, and this Government has listened.
“It is crucial for Crewe's future economic and housing growth and will unlock the potential of two major employment sites at Basford, bringing our area an extra £250m a year through the creation of up 12,500 jobs over the next 20 years.”
For further information about All Change for Crewe, visit the Council’s website at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/allchangeforcrewe
No comments:
Post a Comment