Can the railway town of Crewe become a city?

One of the country's original railway towns is hoping it can become a railway city.

Crewe exists because of the development of the railways and has previously sought to become a city.

Now the area's council has a target of becoming the best small city in Europe by 2050.

But is this feasible? And is it something those in the area want to see?

As part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, places up and down the UK put their names forward to be granted city status. Crewe was one of them and although it wasn't successful, the ambition has remained.

Currently Cheshire has only one city - Chester. Warrington, the largest town in the county, also submitted a bid last time around but was also not successful.

Crewe as we know it developed following the establishment of a station by the Grand Junction Railway Company in 1837 and the opening of the Crewe Works in 1840, which led to the town's growth.

At its height, 20,000 workers were employed at Crewe Works - with the site building 8,000 locomotives. But the works fell into decline with fewer and fewer staff working there and parts of the original site later built over.

It's one of a number of challenges Crewe has faced.

It is home to some of the most deprived areas in England - with some parts more deprived than 95% of other neighbourhoods across the country.

Residents often note empty shops in the town centre as one of the most visible issues.

And it was hoped the railways would be a key part of its future.

Crewe was due to be a hub on HS2 between London and Manchester, with investment planned to coincide with this.

But the previous government's decision to axe HS2 north of Birmingham led to uncertainty, and the council said this was one of the reasons behind its decision to scrap the second phase of a planned development in the town centre.

There has, though, been work to turn around Crewe's fortunes.

It secured £22.9m from the Towns Fund, which has gone towards schemes like a new youth centre, the creation of an outdoor performance space and improving walking and cycling routes.

A report by Cheshire East Council looking at the future of Crewe highlighted the council's ambition for the town to become the best small city in Europe by 2050.

It said this vision had "struck a chord" and that Crewe had been "overlooked" nationally.

Local politicians believe it can happen.

Labour's Jill Rhodes is the leader of Crewe Town Council and represents Crewe East on Cheshire East Council.

She believes Crewe "has all the makings of a small city" and although people have concerns about empty shops in the town centre, there is work going on.

"The plans are there, it's just things take time to develop and people quite rightly want things now."

Roger Morris, Conservative councillor for Crewe Central on Cheshire East, said Crewe had made "several attempts" to become a city but thought this one "has real potential".

"I've been in Crewe all my life, I've seen the highs and the lows and we're certainly not at the lows which I've seen in the past.

"We just need government funding, we need regeneration, we need to get partners on board," he says.

Business owners like Crewe born and bred Jamie Crowe, who set up his business the Lizard's Lair Gaming Co a year ago, support the plans.

He said it would "only be good for the local area".

"It's going to bring investment, it's going to bring other businesses," he said.

He acknowledged there had been "a lot of disappointment in Crewe" in recent years and said he thought local residents weren't "going to hold their breath".

"But we can cross our fingers," he said.

Simon Shen has run his business, Hong's Noodle and Dumping Bar, for almost four years.

He said Crewe's "very convenient" transport links and the size and diversity of its population should mean it becomes a city.

"It would be more people coming to help out businesses," he said.

In the town centre, there is a mix of opinions.

Claire, who moved to Crewe a decade ago, said it is a "great place".

"It's diverse, it's got mixtures of all sorts of different people and it deserves to be a city," she said.

But others are less keen.

One lady said she did not think Crewe should become a city because it has no cathedral.

And some are less certain - about both the idea and if it will happen.

One man said it was a "nice idea", but "whether it'll come about is another thing".

Robin said he was originally from a garden city, Letchworth in Hertfordshire, and highlighted that it was "born with that status".

"So Crewe was never designed to be a city, so do you think it should be a city? Maybe, but does that attract all the problems that city life presents?" he pondered.

For all the enthusiasm from councillors and traders, there are no current plans for new cities.

Since the 1970s, city status has usually been awarded through competitions to mark significant royal occasions, the most recent being in 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee, and at the turn of the millennium.

For now, the council has backed an idea to look into feasibility work for a city plan to see what will develop in the future.

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