Cheshire East Council seeks feedback on two cycling and pedestrian schemes in Crewe

Cheshire East Council is inviting feedback on two schemes which will create new, attractive, and more direct links for pedestrians and cyclists between Crewe railway station and the town centre.

The council has long-term ambitions to improve pedestrian and cycle links across Crewe to encourage an increase in ‘active travel’. 

As part of these ambitions, two improvement schemes are now being brought forward – the Southern Gateway Pedestrian and Cycling Connectivity Scheme and the Nantwich Road Bridge Enhancement Scheme – and a public consultation on these plans will take place between Friday 29 April and Friday 10 June 2022.

The Southern Gateway Pedestrian and Cycling Connectivity Scheme will transform the southern part of Crewe town centre and is one of the projects being progressed following the council’s successful £14.1m bid to the government’s Future High Streets Fund. 

The scheme will establish a new arrival gateway into the town, with a new pedestrian walkway and cycleway proposed between High Street and the Lifestyle Centre.

As well as connecting Forge Street to High Street, it will extend south to make the existing roundabout that links High Street, Mill Street, Oak Street (A5078) and Vernon Way (A5019) pedestrian and cycle friendly. 

Once built, the route will become the most direct walking and cycling route into the town centre from Crewe station. 

The Nantwich Road Bridge Enhancement Scheme is part of a wider ambition to improve the offer at Crewe station, making it more accessible. 

The scheme will create more space parallel to the existing Nantwich Road Bridge, specifically for use by pedestrians and cyclists. 

It will provide safer, more convenient, and more attractive pedestrian and cycle links over the existing railway corridor, to encourage active travel to and from the station, and make it easier for people to find their way to and from the town centre. 

Both schemes will offer benefits to people living in the area and people accessing Crewe station and the town centre.

The schemes will further prepare the town for the arrival of HS2 to Crewe by 2033 – an important component of delivering the council’s future ambitions for Crewe and the surrounding area.

As well as improving connectivity, they will help to make Crewe more attractive and welcoming and support the council’s ongoing regeneration programme, which aims to encourage more people to visit the town centre and to stay for longer.

The council is also developing proposals for the Mill Street Corridor, which would act as an active travel route connecting the two schemes. 

The project is one of 10 in Crewe that has been earmarked to benefit from a £22.9m allocation of funding through the government’s Towns Fund.

While not directly consulting on the options for the Mill Street corridor at the moment, the council wants to understand residents’ views on this wider network as part of this engagement exercise. 

Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council and chair of its highways and transport committee, said: “The anticipated arrival of HS2 by 2033 and other regional rail improvements in Crewe provide a real opportunity for investment and development within the town, and Cheshire East as a whole. 

“To support this investment and unlock early benefits to Crewe, we are planning to improve access and connectivity across Crewe with several new routes for pedestrians and cyclists proposed. 

“The changes will deliver safer, more attractive, and more convenient walking and cycling routes to make it easier for people to get around the town, reducing congestion and journey times. 

“By prioritising walking and cycling, these projects will also contribute towards Cheshire East Council’s ambition to be a carbon neutral borough by 2045. I encourage residents to take part in our engagement exercise and share their views on our ambitions for active travel in Crewe.”

A webpage where people can learn more about the schemes and provide their feedback will be live from Thursday 28 April at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/CreweCPS 

Two public information events are also scheduled, providing a chance for residents and businesses to speak to a member of the project team.

The events are taking place on:

• Tuesday 17 May, between 2pm and 7pm, at Crewe Lifestyle Centre, Moss Square, Crewe, CW1 2BB
• Thursday 19 May, between 2pm and 7pm, at Crewe station, Nantwich Road, Crewe, CW2 6HR (just inside the Nantwich Road entrance)

The consultation will close at midnight on Friday 10 June.