Cheshire East is expected to give the go ahead to its highways boss, submitting two funding bids for the Nantwich Road enhancement schemes - linked to the Crewe hub.

In March, the government launched the second round of bidding for the Levelling Up Fund.

Each local authority is categorised as a priority area, with priority one areas deemed to be in most need of levelling up and priority three areas the least – Cheshire East is classed as priority three.

The council is expected to put in a bid of under £20m towards the funding of the western section of the Nantwich Road enhancements.

Nantwich Road Enhancement Schemes (Cheshire East Council).

What is the Nantwich Road enhancement scheme?

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 the use of pedestrians and cyclists. 

It aims to provide safer, more convenient, and more attractive pedestrian and cycle links over the existing railway corridor,

The plans aim to encourage active travel to and from the station, making it easier for people to find their way to and from Crewe town centre. 

The plans aim to improve connectivity between Crewe Railway Station and Crewe town centre (Ryan Parker).

A report due to go before Thursday's meeting (June 16), states: "This meets the key criteria of the fund, and is strongly linked to the Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund.

"Consequently, the scheme would be a strong candidate for a constituency bid."

It continues: "The Crewe and Nantwich MP has indicated his backing and support for the Nantwich Road enhancements."

As a local transport authority (LTA), Cheshire East can also submit an additional LTA bid.

This is in addition to the constituency, or MP, bid.

Referring to the eastern section of the Nantwich Road enhancements, the report states: "This scheme has a strong transport business case and is a key element in supporting the wider HS2 and Crewe hub programme and consequently, would be a strong candidate for an LTA bid."

The bids have to be submitted by July 6.

The Weston Road entrance to Crewe Station - close to the Eastern section of the plans (Ryan Parker).

If they are successful, a local financial contribution of at least 10% of the estimated scheme costs will be required for each bid.

The report states: "Sufficient funding is allocated in the council's medium term financial strategy for the Crewe Hub to meet all of the local match funding requirement for the schemes should they be successful."

The western enhancement scheme is estimated to cost approximately £19m, the eastern deck enhancement scheme, approximately £10m.

The report states: "In total therefore, as a conservative estimate, there is a need for the local contribution to be around £2.9m

"if both schemes were to be successful in attracting government funding."

It adds: "If this bid was unsuccessful, there is a risk that costs spent up to bid submission and planning submission would need to be expensed.

Inside the Nantwich Road entrance to Crewe Station (Ryan Parker).

"These are likely to be in the order of £600,000, of which approximately half has already been incurred."

A public consultation on these plans will took place between Friday 29 April and Friday 10 June.

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(Ryan Parker and Belinda Ryan)