DEMOLITION work on Crewe's Royal Arcade will start in weeks as part of what Cheshire East council leader Sam Corcoran has billed an "exciting stage of regeneration" for the town.

Bulldozing of the rundown vacant shops straddling Queensway and Victoria Street will start by the middle of the month as part of major redevelopment work to reshape the town centre which has a start date of next summer.

Council chiefs have announced the positive news along with revealing that an operator has been secured to manage Crewe markets for the next five years, including the revamped Crewe Market Hall which is expected to reopen in the new year.

A range of partners involved in change in Crewe, including the recently-established Crewe Town Board, say it will take the town a step closer to achieving its future vision,

The Crewe Cultural Forum, HQ Theatres and both Crewe Town Council and Cheshire East Council have also welcomed the developments which also include the securing of £750,000 of accelerated funding from the Towns Fund to improve Lyceum Square and Crewe Town Council winning a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund to hire a heritage project officer to promote Crewe's historical settings.

Council leader Cllr Sam Corcoran said: "This signals the next exciting stage of regeneration for Crewe town centre and follows in the footsteps of the Lifestyle Centre and University Technical College.

"This news helps to form part of the wider long-term vision for Crewe and is the start of a chain of exciting investment announcements. We will build connections that will benefit the town, its community, businesses and residents of Cheshire East.

"We recognise Crewe has been waiting a long time for change and the on-going pandemic has certainly added to this, however, now is the time for action.

"We could talk about these projects in isolation but if you take them as a collective it starts to show first steps to Crewe's wider-transformation and how we are getting things done together."

Demolition of the vacant shops on the Royal Arcade site has been agreed between Cheshire East Council and developer Peveril Securities Ltd and planners say the site will be clear by May next year.

The work will see the final services disconnected and asbestos removed ahead of demolition machinery arriving on site.

Cllr Nick Mannion Cheshire East Cabinet member for environment and regeneration, hopes that concerns about the town's clock tower, affectionately knows as 'Big Bill', will be soothed by relocating its clock faces and mechanism to Crewe Heritage Centre for potential reuse in the future.

He said: "The current Royal Arcade site has been deteriorating for years and its removal makes way for Crewe's new offer which includes a cinema, leisure and retail opportunities, subject to contracts and planning permission.

"The sites removal will also save the council maintenance costs. There will also be hoardings around the site, designed to keep people safe while the demolition takes place, which will feature designs, imagery and information."

The revamp of Lyceum Square is being overseen by Crewe Town Board from from the government's £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

The project named 'Ly2' will seek to bring physical enhancements to the area set between the Lyceum Theatre and the Market Hall and adjoining areas. Infrastructure will be put in place to host open air events and animation activities highlighting the arts.

It is said the scheme will encourage increased footfall into the town centre and support the £3m Market Hall development.

But it will also help bring the community together by providing an outdoor setting to enjoy performances and entertainment from the Lyceum Theatre as well as festivals and special events created with and by local people and businesses.

The development will provide economic regeneration opportunities for small businesses, it is said.

Theatre director at the Lyceum, Adam Knight, says the square will be transformed into a "high-quality, community focused creative events space".

He said: "Crewe is people-powered and this project recognises and builds on the collective ambitions of local people as expressed through the work of the Crewe Cultural Forum, August's Covid-safe CreWE CREATE grassroots activities, the Lyceum's creative engagement programme and through successful destination events like WaveField, trAction and LUMEN.

"This funding underlines the possibilities of what can be achieved through collaborative working."

Doug Kinsman, Chair of the Crewe Town Board, said: "This is great news for Crewe and perhaps even more significant at this time with Covid-19 still causing so many challenges for us all.

"The time frame available to work-up a compelling proposal was extremely tight so I would like to congratulate all of those who were directly involved in getting this successful submission over the line.

"The hard work really starts now to ensure that we design, create and deliver an inspiring, engaging and inclusive project that showcases Crewe's intent and starts to build back some Civic pride."

Philip Cox, chief executive of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "Crewe is an important priority for us and the subject of significant on-going investment. We are delighted to see real progress being made on the ground, which is good news for residents and the business community."

The Market Hall redevelopment project has been supported by £10m in funding from the government's Local Growth Fund through Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.

The heritage project officer will be hired by the town council for a two-year post with a remit to look at the future of Christ Church as well as other aspects of the town's heritage and seek to protect and promote its historical assets and character.

Town Centre Project Manager Lindsay Lewis, said: "We are so pleased to be working with the Architectural Heritage Fund on this exciting opportunity for the town.

"Our aim is to bring this important building back in to use. The officer will also be looking into the other key projects, such as heritage plaques and trails and recording some of Crewe's most attractive and iconic local buildings.

"Working with the town's Heritage Working Group, the Diocese of Chester and Town Board partners we hope to share Crewe's history of industry, skills and the community which built this town from the ground up."