Lyceum Square – Ly²
Credit: Pete Robinson – Crewe Photographic Society
Objective: Heritage & Culture, Town Centre Regeneration
Current status: In progress
Location of project: Lyceum Square, Crewe Town Centre, CW1 2DA
Initial cost (build): £750k Accelerated funding from Towns Fund MHCLG plus £64k contribution from Crewe Town Council.
Timings: Spring 2022
Lead organisation: Cheshire East Council in partnership with Crewe Town Council Crewe Lyceum and Crewe Cultural Forum.
Problem
Under-used and unattractive public space in the town centre.
Solution
To deliver a new high-quality outdoor events and performance space, with public art commissions, creative maker spaces and an enhanced lighting scheme delivering an attractive and much improved town centre environment.
Ly² is a transformational improvement scheme, which focuses on Lyceum Square and its adjoining areas in Crewe’s town centre.
The Town Board was awarded £750,000 funding for the scheme, which came as an accelerated grant from the Towns Fund. The project has brought physical enhancements to Lyceum Square and its adjoining areas.
The vision for Ly² was developed by the Crewe Cultural Forum – a collaboration of more than 100 residents, organisations, and businesses in Crewe with the collective aim of enhancing the setting of the Lyceum Theatre and Crewe Market Hall and creating a cultural heart for the town centre.
As well as a new raised events stage with an integrated digital screen, the new Ly² scheme includes colourful and multi-functional street furniture and improvements to key gateways into the square.
The improvements have included the installation of an eagle mural which has been applied to the southern market shed known as ‘Crewe Central’ operated by the Crewe Market Hall team. The eagle sits next to floor art on the Northern market shed designs.
As well as the natural enhancement of the immediate area, the scheme aims to encourage footfall into the town centre, support the offer of Crewe Market Hall, and to create an outdoor space where festivals and special open-air events can be held.
Ly² is providing economic regeneration opportunities for small businesses and is having a significantly positive impact on the vitality of the town centre.
The project is being delivered by Cheshire East Council and overseen by Crewe Town Board. It is also being supported by Crewe Town Council. This project is part of the overall £3.6bn Towns Fund and will be completed in the summer of 2024.