Cheshire East Council have decided to postpone Friday's vote on artwork for Crewe's new Royal Arcade.

The sudden u-turn comes just over 24 hours after the two designs were publicly promoted by the council, and less than two days ahead of the vote opening.

This now means new designs will be chosen. The old designs, both black and white, were not to the liking Crewe Nub News readers.

One commenter said: "Awful. Not art. Waste of money. Will be outmoded and unnoticeable in two years."

Another added: "Both options are awful. Clearly trying to be representative of the town's history and missing by a country mile."

And while Cheshire East Council did not use the word 'unanimous', it certainly seems they have considered the strong opposition to the two previously revealed designs.

Councillor Nick Mannion chair of Cheshire East Council's economy and growth committee, said: "The intention is that there will be a public vote as soon as possible."

"However, we will take further time to engage with local stakeholders. We will also be undertaking further stakeholder engagement in the meantime in terms of the design.

"It is important that the people of Crewe are happy with what the final artwork will be, as it will be such a prominent and central feature.

"So, we have listened to what people have said and we will now take all those comments on board, move forward with the artist and review the available options."

The plans which the council described as a 'heritage wall', was intended to feature as a landmark for people arriving in Crewe's town centre.

Phase one of the Royal Arcade scheme will see the construction of a new bus station and multi-storey car park in Crewe town centre and is due to be completed by the end of 2023. But going back to the drawing board on the wall designs should not postpone the site's completion.

The council claimed the Crewe Cultural Forum and various heritage and business groups were consulted on the designs.

A spokesperson added: "Having listened to the initial views on the potential designs yesterday, and because the council is determined to deliver an artwork that resonates with local communities, it will now hold further discussions with stakeholders to review the design proposals and consider how they can be re-presented.

"The designer followed a brief as decided on by the council and its stakeholders. She carried out extensive research and explored the Cheshire Archive and other resources. She also followed the brief to include the recently developed Crewe brand, which had been the subject of earlier consultation.

"As with any large-scale public art project of this nature, there are factors that all designs need to take into account. The use of a perforated aluminium design allows air to flow into the car park to address requirements around ventilation and fire prevention, which inevitably influences design options. 

"This was included in the budget for the car park and was referenced in the planning application for the scheme, subject to a final design, which was awarded planning consent in September last year."

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