An Industrial Revolution.
Quote From : EN Magazine March/April 2006.

Tom McCabe, Director of Environment with Cheshire County Council, tells Lynda Searby that industrial towns in the mid and south Cheshire area are experiencing a remarkable rebirth.

For tom McCabe, one of the most exciting parts of mid and south Cheshire at present is the historic railway town of Crewe , which is undergoing a dramatic transformation.

“Traditionally, I think Crewe was considered a blot on the landscape of The Potteries. But certainly the data we're getting through is talking about Crewe beginning to punch its weight in the North West economy.”

Much of this optimism stems from the slew of public sector money that is being ploughed into projects like the redevelopment of the town centre, the overhaul of the railway station and the relocation of Manchester Metropolitan University 's Alsager campus to Crewe .

But the scheme that really gets McCabe going is the 370 acre business park that is planned for the Basford area.

“It's the area's first big business park and it will be massive in scale,” he says. “We are hoping to attract the blue chip companies because the park is very well located.”

This diversification of the local economy is being matched by the diversification of the local population. For example, McCabe observes that since Poland acceded into the EU, Crewe has seen a massive influx of Polish nationals. “Around 3,000 Polish nationals moved into the town in the space of six months ­ these are well qualified highly motivated people.”

In addition, he says, more and more commuters are opting to live in Crewe . “An awful lot of executive housing has gone up so people are starting to live in Crewe and travel into Manchester , particularly as quality housing in the Macclesfield and Congleton area has become more expensive and harder to come by.”

This pace of development in Crewe is perhaps only matched by nearby Northwich, where plans are in the pipeline for creation of new visitor, leisure, cultural and residential facilities along an upgraded riverside corridor, two new phases of retail development to complement the existing shopping ‘offer' in the town centre and modernisation of Northwich railway station.

However, as McCabe points out, Northwich's renaissance differs in that the town is almost a ‘blank canvas', as the salt mines underneath the town have stymied development in the last 20-30 years.

“Northwich is playing catch-up because of the lack of development in the last few decades. We haven't been in a position to move before because of the problems with the mines and the transport. By sorting those two issues, we're unleashing the genie at a stroke.”

Another enterprising scheme which is still in the embryonic stages is the Weaver Valley Regional Park project. The goal is to take the physical and cultural legacy the salt industry has left in the form of canals, buildings, flashes, biodiversity, human history and dereliction, and create a major recreational resource. It will run 25 miles down the spine of Cheshire from Runcorn, Halton in the north to Audlem in the south, and impacts on seven of Cheshire 's towns including four market towns: Frodsham, Middlewich, Nantwich, and Sandbach together with Northwich and Winsford.

“Development work is underway and we aim to produce a master plan and proposals document by December 2006,” says McCabe.