AMBITIOUS new moves for the regeneration of Crewe have been given the green light by bosses at Cheshire East Council.

On Monday the authority’s cabinet backed steps to appoint a delivery executive and partnership board to drive the development forward.

It follows last month’s historic signing of a ‘concordat’ by the leaders of the main local political parties – and the Mayor of Crewe – in a public show of joint support to turn Crewe into an ‘economic powerhouse’ by 2031.

Over the past year, consultants appointed to advise the council have identified what they believe needs to be done to ‘unlock’ the huge potential of the town.

The vision has been branded All Change for Crewe.

Now Cheshire East is seeking to appoint a commercially-minded delivery executive to lead and drive forward schemes for regeneration, development and growth.

Councillor Jamie Macrae said: “Following the public consultation, there’s clearly huge support for the priorities that we have identified.

“As partners, we recognise that assertive leadership will be needed to propel projects into effective delivery.

“It is critical at this point to engage the skills, expertise and drive of the private sector to deliver our growth ambitions, including the delivery of a new rail gateway, Basford regional employment sites and redevelopment of the town centre.”

Consultants have identified how the council and other agencies can unlock what they see as the tremendous potential of Crewe over the next 20 years.

A revamped Crewe train station and town centre and the completion of the Crewe Green Link Road will be at the heart of several major projects planned to revitalise the town and the surrounding region.

Other priority schemes identified include the development of Basford, the expansion of house building projects and a ‘next generation’ broadband network for Crewe.