Council to hold exhibition on new Crewe town centre history centre plans

Cheshire East Council is holding a public exhibition on plans to deliver a state-of-the-art new history centre - in Crewe town centre.

This would transform access to Cheshire's archives and ensuring their preservation for future generations.

Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, a shared service of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils, identifies, collects, and cares for archives and publications that are the evidence of our communities' lives - both past and present.

A storage archive. Crewe looks set to be getting a new history centre (Getty).

The service is driving forward plans to rehouse the collections in two bespoke new history centres, which will provide access to the archives for all – for information, learning and enjoyment.

The project, called 'Cheshire's archives: a story shared' will see a completely new history centre built in Crewe – proposed for the town's old library in Memorial Square - with a new centre in Chester.

These will both replace the archive service's current facility in Chester, which is no longer fit for purpose, and support an outreach programme across Cheshire.

The plans for Crewe are now reaching their next major milestone, with a planning application due to be submitted later this summer.

Crewe's former library closed to in 2016 to make way for Crewe Lifestyle Centre (Ben Wye).

A similar application for the Chester site will follow.

To give people chance to have their say on the proposals, the project team is holding a public exhibition at Crewe Market Hall between 2pm and 7pm on Thursday (July 14).

Councillor Jill Rhodes, lead for archives at Cheshire East Council, said: "It is hugely exciting that we are almost at the point of submitting the planning application for Crewe's history centre.

"This project is not just about providing a suitable and long-term home for Cheshire's collections, which stretch back more than 900 years.

The project team is holding a public exhibition at Crewe Market Hall between 2pm and 7pm on Thursday - July 14 (Ryan Parker).

"It is about bringing the collections closer to people and providing them with more opportunities to interact with them more easily – helping them to celebrate their personal and communities' histories.

"The centres will create improved spaces for staff and volunteers to work with collections, as well as provide more spaces for research, performances, and exhibitions.

"They will act as a base for activities which will take archives to a wider audience across the county.

"In Crewe itself, while helping the town to celebrate its heritage and supporting the aims of the Crewe Cultural Strategy, the history centre is a key part of the town centre regeneration plans.

The archives project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a grant of £544,000 (Ben Wye).

"Particularly in the development of a 'cultural quarter', of which the Lifestyle Centre, Lyceum Theatre, Market Hall and plans to transform Lyceum Square – known as the 'Ly2' scheme – are all part of too.

"I encourage people to go along to the public exhibition and take a closer look at what is being proposed."

The archives project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a grant of £544,000 was awarded in 2019 to help fund the development of plans for the new centres in more detail.

A further grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund – expected to be made in October 2022 – will, if successful, fund the delivery of the project.

Cheshire East Council proposes the creation of new public space (Ryan Parker).

Those unable to attend the public exhibition but wish to have their say can do so by completing the online consultation, which will be live from 14 July.

This is being hosted by planning consultants Avison Young HERE.

Alternatively, email: [email protected] or write to: Avison Young, Norfolk House, 7 Norfolk Street, Manchester, M2 1DW with your comments.

Plans for the history centre are supported by two further projects, which are both being led by Cheshire East Council.

Cheshire East Council plans to replace the current Civic Centre car park (Ryan Parker).

Supported by the government's Future High Streets Fund, the council is progressing plans to deliver the dismantling and clearance of the proposed site of the history centre.

It proposes the creation of new public space, the replacement of the current car park, and a new entrance for Crewe Magistrates' Court.

Plans, which are supported by the government's Towns Fund, are also being progressed to provide further public space to create a quality setting around the history centre.

This would extend the area from Memorial Square and link the history centre with the southern gateway to the town centre, the Lifestyle Centre, Market Hall, and Lyceum Square.