COUNCILLORS have raised a petition to persuade Town Board chiefs to spend £750,000 revamping Crewe's "delapidated" bus station.

They believe such is the level of dereliction at the Delamere Street interchange that work cannot wait until the ambitious Royal Arcade scheme starts. A new bus station has been promised as part of the development which includes a multi-screen cinema and high-end retail outlets.

But Cheshire East Council has revealed developers Peveril will not be submitting a planning application for the whole project until next year.

The Labour councillors say work is urgently needed remedying the state of the town's bus station which has lost facilities such as a drivers' rest room and cafe in recent years.

Crewe South councillor Laura Smith said: "People need a bus station that is fit for purpose and we have waited long enough. As councillors we are now demanding this commitment is made.

"We have been given no good reason for this not to happen and so call on this to begin immediately. It is essential that we get the bus station done."

The councillors hope their campaign can gather support among local people so they can press for the work on the bus station to be brought forward.

The Town Board, which was established earlier this month, has £750,000, they say, to spend on a project of its choosing immediately.

The petition states: "For too long the residents of Crewe have been faced with ongoing delays surrounding the regeneration of Crewe Town Centre - a substantial part of which involves the redevelopment of the bus station, which currently sits as an unsafe eyesore for bus users."

Crewe West councillor Marilyn Houston added: "It was interesting hearing from the Board Chairman (Doug Kinsman) that Crewe has been left behind and 'this time it's different'.

"We certainly hope so. But talk is cheap and until residents see the works starting and a tangible benefit of re-generation, it will be the same as before.

"While Cheshire East Council is waiting on developers to start their project around the Royal Arcade we see no reason why the bus station re-development can't be brought forward, especially now with a body in the town that has £750,000 of capital funds to invest.

"There is so much potential to our town, but it is being held back. The bus station is a health hazard, the drivers have nowhere to rest and this is supposed to be a welcome to the town through public transport."

The petition, which is running for a two-month period, can be found online here.