Walking and cycling route linking Crewe town centre with railway station

Plans for a safer and greener route for pedestrians and cyclists which will link Crewe town centre with the railway station have been approved.

The Mill Street Corridor scheme is part of a package of nine projects being supported by the government’s Towns Fund and Crewe’s allocation of up to £22.9m of funding.

Having now received planning permission, physical works are expected to start on site in late 2024 and will deliver a better connection and environment for people walking or cycling between the southern part of the town centre and towards the railway station.

Public space improvements including new planting, lighting and landscaping will be delivered along the route, which will run along Nantwich Road, Pedley Street and Railway Street, and cut through Waverley Court and Wesley Place. 

From there it will run north along Mill Street, towards the town centre.

Councillor Michael Gorman, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council and chair of its economy and growth committee, said:

“It’s fantastic news that planning permission for this scheme has now been granted.

“The Mill Street Corridor will provide a new clear connection, separate to motorised traffic, which links two key areas of Crewe and makes it easier for people to choose more sustainable and healthier forms of travel – which is of course much better for both them and our environment.  

“While providing this new cycling and walking route, the project also focuses on making the spaces along it high-quality, accessible, and safe, while supporting biodiversity and encouraging community use of the area.

“Importantly, the project is planned to link up with other schemes in development that will create further cycling and walking routes and expand Crewe’s active travel network, improving connectivity in and around the town centre.”

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

“2024 is a big year for Crewe and local communities will be able to see regeneration projects, like the Mill Street Corridor, taking huge strides forward and major improvements being delivered in the town centre and surrounding area.

"Over the coming weeks, I look forward to being able to share updates on other projects within the Towns Fund programme, as well as celebrate the completion of the first four ‘pocket parks’ in Crewe –  Queen Street, Derby Docks, McLaren Street and School Crescent – where work is being carried out to make them become more attractive and better equipped spaces for people to spend time and get fit outdoors.”

The Mill Street Corridor route is planned to link up with projects including the Valley Brook green corridor – also supported by the Towns Fund – which will connect Queens Park with Mill Street / Edleston Road via a cycling and walking route primarily through parks and open spaces.

The Mill Street Corridor will also link with the Southern Gateway Pedestrian and Cycling Connectivity Scheme – one of the projects being progressed following Cheshire East Council’s successful £14.1m bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund.

This scheme will create a new arrival point into the town, with a new pedestrian walkway and cycleway between High Street and the Lifestyle Centre.