£317k of high street funding in Crewe looks set to be cut and switched over to an approved youth zone development and 'Pocket Parks' project in the town.

Cheshire East Council is set to sign off plans to take some of the funds allocated for Crewe's high street improvements, moving £9,366 to a planned new development by Jubilee Gardens.

Local charity, The Wishing Well, which provides a variety of services to improve the health and wellbeing in the town, is proposing to deliver a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), on derelict land in Hightown.

Crewe Youth Zone's allocation will be increased from an estimated £2.6m to £2.9m (OnSide).

The majority of these funds however, will be spent on the Crewe Youth Zone project, set to be built on Oak Street Car Park.

Crewe was granted £22.9m from the government's Towns Fund for a number of projects including pocket parks, active travel routes and the new youth zone.

Under the proposals to the economy and growth committee, the council is set to reduce the grant given to the "repurposing our high streets" project.

This scheme includes grants for businesses to take on empty properties in the town centre as well as funding to improve the look of vacant sites.

The budget for this is set to be reduced from an estimated £1.4m to £1.1m.

Cheshire East Council is set to sign off plans to take £317k of funds allocated for Crewe's high street improvements, on Crewe Zouth Zone and Jubilee Pocket Park (Ryan Parker).

Crewe Youth Zone's allocation will be increased from an estimated £2.6m to £2.9m.

In the report, council officers said the costs of the youth zone had increased "principally because of delays."

It also said the timing of the decision was "critical" to the plans as charity operator, OnSide Youth Zones, had "indicated it has exhausted other opportunities for funding the balance of the capital cost of construction."

With a target completion date of 2025, Crewe Youth Zone will be open to young people aged eight to 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs, seven days a week.

Delivered by OnSide, in partnership with Cheshire East Council, the development will create up to 70 full and part-time jobs and up to 100 volunteering opportunities. 

With a target completion date of 2025, Crewe Youth Zone will be constructed on Oak Street Car Park (Ryan Parker).

Cheshire East's Crewe Towns Fund budget reallocation plans are set to be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday 4 June.

READ MORE: Crewe music venue closes down after 65 years.

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