A multimillion-pound scheme transforming the civic and cultural quarter of Crewe town centre with a new history centre, is officially under way.

Salford-based MC Construction has completed the first phase of the scheme, on behalf of Cheshire East Council.

The project involves:

• Creating a cleared site for a new history centre to co-host Cheshire's archives;
• A new pedestrian link between the Lifestyle Centre, Memorial Square and Market Hall connecting into the southern gateway link
• A new car park with 31 spaces
• A new, two-storey magistrates' courts entrance
• Public realm improvements, including new lighting, paving, seating and planting, bicycle racks, activity space and public art

A CGI of Crewe town centre's new civic and cultural quarter (Cheshire East Council).

The first phase involved enabling works to strip out the former library next to Memorial Square where the history centre will be developed.

The structure over the closed Civic Centre Car Park has been cleared, with a temporary entrance constructed to Crewe Magistrates' Court.

MC Construction will begin the next phase in February when it dismantles the former library building and the existing concourse.

This phase is expected to be completed by summer 2024.

Managing director of MC Construction, Russ Forshaw, told Nub News: "This scheme will transform the civic and cultural quarter of Crewe town centre, providing new and greatly improved facilities for the public.

Civic Centre Car Park permanently closed to the public on Tuesday 12 December (Ryan Parker).

"Having successfully completed numerous other projects for Cheshire East Council, we are proud to be working with the authority once again and to further strengthen our relationship with this valued client."

The Crewe town centre development is being supported by the government's Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund.

The history centre, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will co-host the regional's written and pictorial history collections with a second history centre being built in Hoole, Chester.

This scheme has been driven by Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, a shared service of Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester councils.

These centres will replace the archive service's current facility and open the collections to new audiences across Cheshire.

Crewe History Centre is expected to open in summer 2025 (Cheshire East Council).

They will feature event and gallery areas to host performances, workshops and exhibitions, more space for people to conduct research and better spaces to make the collections more accessible to the public.

Crewe History Centre is expected to open in summer 2025.

READ MORE: Investigation 'ongoing' after taxi collides with marked police car in Crewe.

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