Inspiring and encouraging day in Crewe town centre…
It’s one of the locations – Tredegar is another – where our tackling #highstreet vacancy focus, for now at least, is on that ‘alternative’ or maybe better described as additional use types list – arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, history & heritage, leisure, education, health and health & wellbeing.
In both places #retail, #hospitality and services still have an important part to play, but we’re exploring the potential for those others initially.
So…
It was great to check in on the community-led popup exhibitions and workshop space by Crewe//Makes, to hear about their ArtSpace plans for 2025 and beyond (surrounded as I was by Mark Haig’s awesome gizmobots);
Next a really interesting conversation about the various ways work going on to understand, reflect and promote elements of the town’s special past might connect with our project today;
We also took the opportunity to hear about exciting plans for a very community-focused use for one of the town centre’s larger vacant units and explore possible links with other local organisations;
…and caught up on the latest news about would-be incoming occupiers for a set of the other empties.
This approach, leading on those ‘alternative’ uses types to start to get vacants back in play, improve their look, add variety to the town’s offer, emphasise the value of collaboration, increase footfall, extend dwell time and so support existing businesses, is one we believe has potential for other places in a similar situation with vacancy, to help build momentum and kick-start a revival.
It’d be great to hear from town centres where this may be a way forward too…
