Citizens Advice Cheshire East’s Crewe office will move in to its new home later this month – with the demolition of its old building signalling the first stage of the Royal Arcade redevelopment works.
After more than 40 years in their offices on Victoria Street, the service is relocating to the ground floor of the council’s Delamere House building and will open its new offices on Monday 18 March. Access will be via the Chester Street entrance.
Their old accommodation, which closed its doors on 8 March, will be demolished in the coming weeks.
Subject to planning consent, it is proposed that the site will be used to provide access to a new bus station, as part of the multi-million-pound Royal Arcade leisure and retail scheme.
Councillor Ainsley Arnold, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for housing, said: “The demolition of the old Citizens Advice offices in Crewe will be the first physical works of the Royal Arcade development.
“Plans for the scheme are advancing well and it is good news that by working closely with Citizens Advice and other partners, the branch has found a new home and will be able to move in to much more suitable accommodation – located just a few hundred yards away from its previous offices.”
Citizens Advice Cheshire East helps more than 5,000 people per year with issues such as debt, housing, employment, benefit and consumer problems.
This week, Citizens Advice Cheshire East will be operating drop-in information sessions at Crewe Lifestyle Centre, from 9.30am-noon, as well as providing additional services from its Nantwich offices. The advice line and email advice services will operate as normal.
Liz Shaw, chief officer of Citizens Advice Cheshire East, said: “Our current office was originally built as a temporary structure and although it has served us well, we are delighted to be moving into more suitable accommodation, which has been configured with our needs in mind.
“The new offices will offer both our clients and workforce a much more pleasant environment.”
Plans for further demolition works at the Royal Arcade site are well advanced. Subject to planning consent, it is expected that the demolition of most of the properties in the Queensway and Victoria Street part of the scheme will commence over the summer.
The Royal Arcade, which will also feature a new eight-screen cinema, gym, restaurants and shops and a multi-storey car park, is part of a £48.3m regeneration programme in Crewe town centre.
The regeneration programme is supported by the government’s Local Growth Fund, through Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.
Major enhancements will also be made to the public realm, while the Market Hall will undergo a £3m programme of refurbishment and remodelling.
For more information about Citizens Advice Cheshire East, visit: www.citizensadvicece.org.uk
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