CREWE will get a new Lifestyle Centre after planning chiefs agreed to construction of the £15.6 million facility.

Cheshire East southern planning committee approved the centre’s development on a 0.95 hectare plot on Christchurch car park yesterday, Wednesday, May 7.

Construction will result in demolition of Christchurch hall, with Moss Square extended to provide a through route onto Crewe Street.

The centre will comprise an eight-lane 25 metre pool, smaller 17m pool, a gym, new public library, fitness suites and studios, new sports hall and day care facilities including offices, meeting rooms, treatment rooms, training facilities and an outdoor plan area.

Cheshire East Council sees the facility as key to arresting statistics that show people of Crewe suffer poorer health than the average borough resident.

The town has a lower life expectancy than the rest of Cheshire East and also the highest proportion of people (4,266) with diabetes – accounting for six per cent of the town’s population.

Crewe Town Council offered their support for the new centre but raised concerns about the level of town centre parking lost by the scheme.

They also wanted reassurances over what would become of existing facilities.

A town council spokesman said: “The Council wish to see assurances that the Flag Lane Baths, once redundant, is sympathetically developed and that the façade in particular is not lost to the town.

“The council also wishes to better understand what the future is for what will become the former library.

“The building will become redundant once the library moves and the town as a whole needs to understand what usage will be made of the vacated space.”