Dear Editor
This is what needs to be done urgently to save Crewe Town Centre from oblivion.
Here is the seven point plan, proposed by ‘Putting Crewe First’.
1) We have suggested that the Borough and Town Councils should be putting on special events each weekend in the town centre to attract people into the town.
2) We have suggested that the Town Council take over the car parks so they could then have no parking charges, just like there are no parking charges in NINE other towns in Cheshire East. This would attract many more shoppers into the town centre.
3) We have suggested that small new shops with no rates and low rents and short leases be developed to encourage new start up retail businesses to come in to the town.
4) We have suggested that the landlords of the many empty shops be approached with a view to getting them occupied , even for short periods, by having lower rents, short leases and perhaps sub-divide some of the bigger shops.
5) We have said that the £48m grand plans for the Royal Arcade site in the town centre have no chance of coming to fruition and they need a radical and urgent re-think.
6) We have suggested that the outside market could be revived if it was promoted and rents were reduced so that it is cheaper to trade in Crewe compared to other towns.
7) We have suggested that out of town retail should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances so that retailers would be encouraged to come and locate in the town centre.
A town centre without a thriving shopping area will not survive.
Queensway used to be one of the main shopping streets containing M&S and BHS, among others.
Now one side of Queensway has been demolished and on the other side virtually all the shops are closed.
More of the main shopping streets will sadly go the same way unless urgent and drastic action is taken by the Borough and Town Councils.
Next May the good people of Crewe will have a chance to throw out the Labour Councillors who have sent Crewe into a sad spiral of decline and take back control of their town.
That is why I formed ‘Putting Crewe First’, so that there is a better alternative than the failed Councillors who currently represent Crewe.
The Conservatives are not an alternative because the town’s Tory MP has been just as useless as the town’s Labour Councillors, all THIRTY of them.
Crewe could be successful again……….. but it needs fresh leadership.
Yours faithfully,
Cllr Brian Silvester
Leader
Putting Crewe First
you only have to look at the 20yr decline in nearby Newcastle to see where Crewe is heading, both towns were vibrant, now they are both overrun with dispair
Crewe won’t print his stuff
Do you do any lobbying at actual council meetings Brian? You do like to publicly lay out your opinions when you are one of the few people who can actually enact this change. It’s like you’re shouting from the sidelines when you post these letters in Nantwich News. How about demonstrating what you ARE doing (and perhaps in forums about Crewe where this actually matters as this has zero impact on Nantwich)?