THE leader of Cheshire East Council has told the Guardian the HS2 hub will bring ‘more money’ and ‘more jobs’ to the town.

Clr Michael Jones said he wanted to give residents of the town ‘hope and aspirations’ for the future.

“I really don’t see it as us beating them,” he said.

“This is all about getting government money to the north west,” he said. “Does it matter where the station is? It is logical to put it where it is most accessible to everyone.

“We have to work with Network Rail but my preference is for a new station in Crewe. I just can’t see how we can fit HS2 into the current station.

“This will bring more jobs and more housing and more money to invest in Crewe town centre.

“I think it’s a big mistake by Crewe Town Council going on about this (the HS2 station not being in the town centre). The Labour Party destroyed Crewe town centre when it allowed Grand Junction to be built.

“I just want HS2. I want the billion pounds, the housing, and I want to double the wages in Cheshire. I want to reach out and give aspirations and hope to the residents.”

But Crewe Town Council believe the creation of the hub at Crewe should be used to drive the regeneration of some of the older parts of the town rather than be pushed out on to a greenfield site.

Clr Kevin Hickson, leader of the council, said the authority welcomed HS2. “We want to make sure that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity brings the maximum benefit in investment and jobs to the parts of Crewe that need it most,” he said.

“We have already shown how an HS2 hub could be developed at the existing station by creating an additional link from the West Coast Main Line to HS2 in the Coppenhall area. With an integrated transport strategy to address the traffic and public transport needs of the station area, and a well-planned regeneration programme, we could transform the area.”