Part of cycling and walking scheme set to be dropped

Part of a project to improve cycling and walking routes in Crewe is to be scrapped, after it was found to be "not affordable".

Cheshire East Council was granted £22.9m for regeneration projects in the town in 2021, including a new youth centre, repairing older homes and pedestrian and cycling travelling routes.

But now some of the funds for the Valley Brook scheme are to be reallocated to other projects.

The plans will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday.

The £22.9m was granted by the last government under the Towns Fund.

Initially the plans for the Valley Brook area included making some roads - Electricity Street and Alton Street - one-way for vehicles.

But these plans were dropped after local opposition.

It was then proposed to introduce a 20 mph zone and some traffic calming measures on those streets.

But the council has now said due to updated costs, the highways part of the project were deemed "not affordable" and this would be removed from the project.

Parts around Valley Park will go ahead.

The council's economy and growth committee is to be asked to sign off plans to transfer the funding to four other projects, including works to the Cumberland Arena and the Crewe Youth Zone.

This is not the first time funding has been reallocated.

was reallocated after the plans were deemed to be too costly.

The building was then been earmarked for a special school, but that has now also been scrapped due to rising costs - with the council now looking for future uses, which could include selling the building.

Other funding linked to revamping empty high street properties was also moved towards the youth zone under construction.

If the money under the Towns Fund was not reallocated, then the council would face having to return money to the government.

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