Cheshire East has shelved its original plans to develop Crewe’s Royal Arcade because of soaring costs, writes Belinda Ryan.
And instead it will look at temporarily using the site for “meanwhile uses” to attract footfall into the town.
The council bought the town centre site in 2015 for £6m with ambitious plans to build a new bus station, multi-storey car park and a mixed-use scheme comprising leisure facilities such as a cinema, together with shops.
Phase one – the bus station and car park – are under construction and expected to be operational by next Spring.
Phase two – the mixed-use scheme – will not now go ahead as originally planned after the council’s economy and growth committee voted unanimously for the site to be used for “meanwhile uses”.
These could include facilities such as a children’s play area, temporary go-karting track, trampoline park, pop-up cinema or space for traders to sell food and drink.
A “member reference group” will be set up to advance plans for “meanwhile uses”.
And it will also continue to explore alternative funding opportunities for the scheme as originally proposed, and review options for the longer-term development of the site.
The “meanwhile uses” cannot be put in place until after the site is handed back to the council next Spring.
Development and regeneration delivery manager Jez Goodman told the committee: “Three years ago, when the council entered into the development agreement with Peveril Securities we had a scheme that was viable.”
But he said soaring inflation and interest rates had contributed to that no longer being the case.
“Over the past 18 months the council has been working with Peveril to try to address the significant viability gap but has been unable to do so.
“The recent decision by government to scrap HS2 north of Birmingham has exacerbated the problem,” said Mr Goodman.
Crewe councillor Connor Naismith (Lab) blamed the financial crisis on the government.
He added: “Locally we have also had the disastrous handling of the northern leg of HS2 where for weeks, if not months, speculation over a project which was the cornerstone of Crewe’s future development was allowed to spiral out of control culminating in the unforgivable decision to scrap the northern leg with huge consequences for the confidence of private investment in our town.
“I think it’s fair to say the government has let us down, now we have to pick up the pieces, so I welcome the speed at which officers have responded to this news and for the options placed in front of us today.
He added: “I support efforts by this council to call on the government to clean up its mess providing compensation for the loss of HS2.
“Should we be successful in those efforts, I believe consideration should be given to using that money towards Crewe town centre.”
Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con) said the economic problems were being experienced globally but not just in the UK, but she agreed with Cllr Naismith that: “We absolutely need HS2 compensation.”
Macclesfield councillor Nick Mannion (Lab) said it was reassuring officers had quickly looked at alternatives for the Royal Arcade site “because the last thing we want is a hole in the ground in the middle of Crewe for years and what’s proposed today is at least an interim use for that central site in our town”.
Committee chair Mark Goldsmith (Wilmslow, Ind) said: “I think it could give Crewe a unique retail offering that no-one else in Cheshire East has and, while there are negatives, we should also look for the real positives that could come from this.”
Glad you all agree, it’s a complete mess that we all saw coming back in 2008. Shame Cheshireeast in their wisdom never picked up on it. Instead we have rises in their charges for more council tax and green bin extras. They only pick mine up 4 times a year. Do I really need to pay the extra???
Crewe Town centre has been utterly let down since 2008 when the original plans were scrapped the council sitting in Macclesfield have run this town into the dump that it is.
To have a population of over 72k and not have a shopping centre is disgusting and all the councillors should hang their heads in shame
Crewe needs more than what was planned. It needs a total refit! Money would be better spent on more extensive improvement in the Town with a toned down Shopping Centre. / Parking as Cinemas and Shops are round the corner . Either way, the demolished clock should be a central piece as it defined Crewe Centre .
This just keeps getting better and better, so we build a multi storey carpark, that is not needed, demolish a hole shopping arcade to make way for it and run out of money to rebuild the rest of the town centre.
We then come up with a plan to basically turn it into a play area,will someone please wake me up when this is all over..
Sorry Crewe but you are never going to have a thriving town centre, thanks to a totally inept council, still the multi storey carpark will make a great climbing wall and skate park.