Going up! Major schemes take shape in Crewe town centre

Two major schemes are on the rise offering great opportunity for Crewe.

Both The Dome Youth Zone and Cheshire Archives Crewe are moving forward at rapid pace.

The Dome Youth Zone, due to open autumn 2026, can’t be missed on the site of the former Oak Street car-park.

The state-of-the-art facility will bring a wealth of opportunity to young people from Crewe and surrounds.

Operating as an independent charity with a private sector-led board, it will become part of the expanding OnSide Network of 16 Youth Zones nationwide, supporting over 50,000 young people every year.

Youth Zones are open to young people aged between eight and 19 (and up to 25 for those with additional needs), seven days a week, for just £5 annual membership and 50p a visit.

Young people who sign up will have access to an indoor climbing wall, four court sports hall, training kitchen, music room with a recording studio, fully equipped gym, boxing suite, dance and drama studio, 3G kick pitch, arts and crafts room, and enterprise and employability suite.

Stuart Manifould, CEO of The Dome Youth Zone, said: “The Dome Youth Zone is now really beginning to take shape. Construction has been moving forward at a rapid pace – anyone passing near the site can see the rate at which the steels have been going up!”

He added: “It’s a very exciting time to be part of our Youth Zone. If you’d like to help make a difference to the lives of thousands of young people in Crewe, we’d love to hear from you.”

Meanwhile Cheshire Archives Crewe, located between Memorial Square and the Lifestyle Centre, is taking shape and is expected to open in summer 2026.

The centre will be free to visit for research and to explore exhibitions which tell stories about Crewe’s communities.

It will help the town, as well as the wider county of Cheshire, to celebrate its heritage, while also supporting the town’s ongoing regeneration and the aims of the Crewe Cultural Strategy.

It will include:

• space to host cultural exhibitions of regional and national interest, school groups, workshops and talks
• railway archives for Crewe and the local region and archives relating to the development of the town and surrounding area over the past 900 years
• access to film and sound archives
• local newspapers and photographs
• local history books
• supervised access to archive materials not on display
• a Family History Society of Cheshire helpdesk, providing access to genealogical resources and expertise
• a café

One Crewe says: “Exciting times for Crewe. Each scheme has the potential to benefit people of all ages from Crewe and the wider Cheshire community while attracting footfall to the town centre.”

Check out One Crewe on socials for further updates.