Editing Crewe (section)

==Economy==
[[File:Bentley Motors, Crewe - geograph.org.uk - 247611.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Bentley]]'s [[Pyms Lane factory]]]]

The railways still play a part in local industry at [[Crewe Works]], which carries out train maintenance and inspection. It has been owned by [[Alstom]] since 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A transformational step for Alstom: completion of the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation |url=https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2021/1/transformational-step-alstom-completion-acquisition-bombardier |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Alstom |language=en}}</ref> At its height, the site employed over 20,000 people but, by 2005, fewer than 1,000 remained, with a further 270 redundancies announced in November of that year. Currently Alstom employs 6,000 people across the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alstom in the UK and Ireland |url=https://www.alstom.com/uk-and-ireland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027044806/https://www.alstom.com/alstom-uk-and-ireland |archive-date=27 October 2023 |access-date=29 December 2023 |website=Alstom}}</ref> Much of the site once occupied by the works has been sold and is now occupied by a supermarket, leisure park and a large new health centre.

There is still an [[Crewe Electric TMD|electric locomotive maintenance depot]] to the north of the railway station, operated by [[DB Cargo UK]]. The [[Crewe Diesel TMD|diesel locomotive maintenance depot]], having closed in 2003, reopened in 2015 as a maintenance facility for [[Locomotive Services Limited]], having undergone major structural repairs.<ref>Crewe Diesel depot is biggest loss as EWS prepares for closure ''[[Rail (magazine)|Rail]]'' issue 475 26 November 2003 page 6</ref><ref>Hosking to lease Crewe depot ''[[Railways Illustrated]]'' issue 135 May 2014 page 10</ref>

The [[Bentley]] [[Bentley Crewe|car factory is on Pyms Lane]] to the west of town. As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.caranddriver.com/going-back-in-time-at-the-bentley-factory/|title=Going Back in Time at the Bentley Factory|date=10 May 2010|author=Mark Gillies|publisher=Car and Driver blog|access-date=25 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809135049/http://blog.caranddriver.com/going-back-in-time-at-the-bentley-factory/|archive-date=9 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The factory used to produce [[Rolls-Royce Motors|Rolls-Royce]] cars, until the licence for the brand transferred from Bentley's owners [[Volkswagen]] to rival [[BMW]] in 2003.

There is a [[BAE Systems Land & Armaments]] [[ROF Radway Green|factory]] in the village of [[Radway Green]] near [[Alsager]], producing [[small arms]] ammunition for the British armed forces.

The headquarters of [[Focus DIY]], which went into administration in 2011, was in the town. Off-licence chain [[Bargain Booze]] is also Crewe-based; it was bought-out in 2018 by Sir [[Anwar Pervez]]' conglomerate [[Bestway]] for £7m,<ref name="Fisher-06Apr2018">{{cite news |last1=Fisher |first1=Martyn |title=Bestway buys Bargain Booze |url=http://www.betterwholesaling.com/bestway-bargain-booze/ |access-date=6 April 2018 |work=Better Wholesaling |date=6 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406232042/http://www.betterwholesaling.com/bestway-bargain-booze/ |archive-date=6 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> putting drinks retailing alongside its Manchester-based [[Well Pharmacy]].

Several business parks around the town host light industry and offices. Crewe Business Park is a 67-acre site with offices, research and IT manufacturing. Major corporations  with a presence in the park include [[Air Products]], [[Barclays]] and [[Fujitsu]]. The 12-acre Crewe Gates Industrial Estate is adjacent to Crewe Business Park, with smaller industry including the [[ice cream van]] manufacturer [[Whitby Morrison]]. The Weston Gate area has light industry and distribution. Marshfield Bank Employment Park is to the west of the town and includes offices, manufacturing and distribution. There are industrial and light industrial units at Radway Green.

The town has two small shopping centres: the Victoria Centre and the Market Centre. There are outdoor markets throughout the week. Grand Junction Retail Park is just outside the centre of town. Nantwich Road provides a wide range of secondary local shops, with a variety of small retailers and estate agents.

The Market Centre is the largest shopping centre in Crewe. It is situated in the heart of the town centre with a few national retailers, including [[B&M]], [[Poundstretcher]] and [[Peacocks (clothing)|Peacocks]]. There are three large car parks nearby and [[Crewe bus station]] is a five-minute walk from the shopping centre. It has a weekly footfall of approximately 100,000 visitors.

===Developments===
A planned redevelopment of Crewe's town centre, including the current bus station and main shopping area, was abandoned because of "difficult economic conditions" during 2008.<ref>{{citation|title=Developer confident of town upgrades in the face of downturn|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Developer-confident-town-upgrades-face-downturn/article-577729-detail/article.html|publisher=Staffordshire Sentinel News and Media|date=31 December 2008|access-date=3 February 2009}}</ref>

There were also plans to revamp the railway station which involved moving it to [[Basford, Cheshire|Basford]]. This was pending a public consultation by [[Network Rail]] scheduled for autumn 2008, but no such public consultation was done. The plan was abandoned and maintenance work was carried out on the current station instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Cuts-derail-plan-163-2m-station-facelift/article-2307470-detail/article.html|title=The Sentinel|access-date=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621010344/http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Cuts-derail-plan-163-2m-station-facelift/article-2307470-detail/article.html|archive-date=21 June 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cheshire East Council developed a new regeneration master plan for Crewe,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx|title=Cheshire East Council Crewe Vision documents|access-date=12 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913092404/http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/business/economic_development_services/crewe_vision.aspx|archive-date=13 September 2010}}</ref> which included the opening of a new Lifestyle Centre, with a new swimming pool, gym and library.

After a £3 million refurbishment, the Crewe Market Hall reopened its doors on 19 May 2021, the start of many new developments in Crewe.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Crewe had been planned as the site of a transport hub for the Phase 2a [[High Speed 2]] (HS2) railway line, which received royal assent in 2021 with planned completion in 2027. The plan included a new HS2 railway station, surrounded by a commercial hub providing 37,000 jobs and 7,000 homes by 2043. However on 4 October 2023, Prime Minister [[Rishi Sunak]] announced the cancellation of this phase of the HS2 development at the [[Conservative Party Conference (UK)|Conservative Party Conference]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154|title=HS2 Birmingham to Crewe link planned to open six years early|work=BBC News|date=30 November 2015|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121010338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154|archive-date=21 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=guardian-20231004>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/04/we-feel-forgotten-anger-in-crewe-at-scaling-back-of-hs2 |title='We feel forgotten': anger in Crewe at scaling back of HS2 |last=Pidd |first=Helen |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 October 2023 |access-date=4 October 2023}}</ref>