The people of Crewe are dying 13 years ahead of those in more affluent parts of Cheshire East, so the city deserves an investment after years of neglect, a city council said.
Cllr Suzanne Brookfield (Crewe East, Lab) spoke to a meeting of the Economic and Growth Committee after an updated report on downtown renewal programs.
Crewe has received a total of £ 37 million in government funding through two separate programs – the Future High Streets Fund and the Towns Fund.
Cheshire East has so far been unsuccessful in various funding applications it has made to the government and other outside public sources for Macclesfield.
Cllr Brookfield said, “I know some people at this table will agree that Crewe is everything, but I think we have to keep in mind that Crewe is the county capital.
“Yes, Crewe gets a lot of attention, but it has been neglected for so long.
“We have the most fly tips in Crewe, we have the most air pollution, we even die earlier in Crewe – that’s the hardship, we die 13 years earlier in Crewe than in the rest of the county.
“I know people think we are very focused on Crewe, but I think the need is there.”
Their comments came after some councilors asked what was being done in other parts of the district.
Cllr Andrew Gregory (Sutton, Con) said, “This is an exciting report if you live in and around Crewe, but I’m afraid if you live in and around Macclesfield you will feel a little like that poor relative.
“Are we doing enough to get private companies behind Macclesfield?
“We saw the modest development in the marketplace as a result of the pandemic, but so little is happening from my point of view.
“Can we do more to get behind Macc?”
Peter Skates, director of growth and enterprise for the council, said: “There are already a number of investors in Macclesfield who have confidence in the city and it is a question of building on that, Picturedrome said, but also on recent developments in Craven House on Castle Street and our redesigned public area on Castle Street add to that.
“It’s about growing, adding it, building trust, and Macclesfield has a really good reputation for this kind of quirky, different kind of town, so how can we build on that?”
Earlier, Mr Skates had advised the committee that the council would seek funding for Macclesfield again.
“Success with any application for funds can depend on strict criteria required by the government to demonstrate the critical need for intervention, and issues such as deprivation can be a key factor,” he told the committee.
“Although Macclesfield has not been able to raise funds, we are still preparing for the next round of applications, which is expected in the new year.”
(Story by Belinda Ryan)
