Cheshire East Council has submitted two Crewe development bids to round two of the government's Levelling Up Fund - aiming to improve connectivity.

The Levelling Up Fund is designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK.

In March, the UK Government launched the second round of bidding.

Cheshire East Council submitted two Crewe bids, relating to a pedestrian and cycle scheme around the town's railway station.

Nantwich Road, Crewe. The proposed Western enhacement scheme would be constructed to the right (Ryan Parker).

The first bid was submitted by the council in its role as the Local Transport Authority and has even backed by former Crewe Conservative MP, Edward Timpson.

Cheshire East seeks funding to deliver the eastern section of the council's Nantwich Road Bridge Enhancement Scheme.

This scheme, which was recently subject to a six-week public consultation, will create more space along the existing Nantwich Road Bridge.

It aims to provide safer, more convenient, and more attractive pedestrian and cycle links - also improving connectivity between the station and Crewe town centre.

The Crewe, Nantwich Road, Enhancement Schemes (Cheshire East Council).

The eastern section of the Nantwich Road Bridge Enhancement Scheme is a key element in supporting the council's wider HS2 and Crewe hub station programme.

A further bid – a constituency bid backed by Crewe MP, Dr Kieran Mullan and Sandbach MP, Fiona Bruce – has also been made to deliver the western section of the scheme.

This section is strongly linked to two further projects being developed in Crewe, the first of which is the 'Southern Gateway Pedestrian and Cycling Connectivity Scheme.'

This proposes to create a new pedestrian walkway and cycleway between High Street and Crewe Lifestyle Centre.

Cheshire East Council is developing proposals for Mill Street - connecting Crewe Railway Station to Crewe Lifestyle Centre (Ryan Parker).

It is one of the projects being progressed following the council's successful £14.1m bid to the government's Future High Streets Fund.

The council is also developing proposals for the Mill Street Corridor.

This would act as an active travel route connecting the Nantwich Road Bridge and Southern Gateway 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.

Councillor Craig Browne, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "The Nantwich Road Bridge Enhancement Scheme supports the council's long-term ambitions to improve pedestrian and cycle links across Crewe to encourage an increase in 'active travel'.

"It will also 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.

"HS2 remains a strategically important project for the council. We continue to press government to deliver key interventions and investments that support the council's shared vision for a Crewe 'super' hub station.

"This is to support the right level of connectivity and facilitate five to seven trains per hour stopping at Crewe."

In bidding to the Levelling Up Fund, local authorities are categorised in terms of 'priority areas'.

A decision on the bids is expected in the autumn of this year.

READ MORE: 'Emotional' Crewe documentary as Britain's Heart of Rail airs tonight.

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