PLANS to regenerate Crewe have received a "warm" response from the government - although an announcement on what projects will receive funding from the Town Deal will have to wait until after the May 6 local elections.

Cheshire East Council submitted Crewe's Town Investment Plan in January detailing which projects would be seeking a share of up to £25m of government funding.

A raft of towns, who sent their bids in last year, have received news about their settlements, but Crewe's bid is still being assessed.

The town's MP Kieran Mullan says he understands people are curious to know which projects will share the government's cash pot aimed at helping "neglected" towns in England under its "Levelling Up" agenda.

The MP sits on Crewe Town Board, which was formed to select the projects that have been put forward, while drafting a Town Investment Plan.

You can read the minutes of the board here. Its meetings are held in private and it has not revealed details as to the type of regeneration schemes that could emerge with the funding over the next few years.

The MP said: "I understand why people are curious to know [about the projects]. But as a Town Board we do not ultimately know what is going to be funded as yet. So we want to save that announcement for when we know for sure that projects are going to get funded.

"So at the moment we have to ask people to be a little bit patient."

With a membership extending across the political spectrum, council chiefs and the private sector, the MP says the Town Board has the interests of Crewe at heart.

Last week the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick confirmed Crewe's Town Investment Plan was under review.

He told the MP in the Commons: "I am excited to see the ambitious plans for Crewe town centre to welcome visitors and shoppers and create an integrated HS2 station.

"The plans are very well developed and my officials are currently conducting assessments and I look forward to making an announcement in due course."

The MP says the Towns Deal along with the completed £3m revamp of the Market Hall and the redevelopment of the Royal Arcade site will transform Crewe town centre in the coming years.

"It's about 'building back better' and delivering for our local communities," he said. "You see how excited people are on social media about the Market Hall [reopening]; I'm really excited about it.

"People are finally seeing progress on the Royal Arcade development, keeping in mind that both the Royal Arcade and the Market Hall were projects that were put into place and started by the previous Conservative administration [at Cheshire East Council] I'm glad that the Labour administration have helped get them over the line.

"It's a really great opportunity for Crewe with those things combined, the Market Hall, the Royal Arcade, the Towns Deal and the Future High Streets Fund. We're really going to see them completely transform Crewe in the next couple of years.

"I understand why people feel Crewe has been neglected and it has been neglected. But this government is delivering for towns like Crewe."