The leader of Cheshire East Council has revealed a new masterplan for Crewe that could create thousands of new jobs.
Speaking at the MIPIM property festival held this week in Cannes, Cllr Rachel Bailey said the upcoming HS2 rail line will be a "landmark moment” both for Crewe and the wider Cheshire area.
She said: "This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will trigger transformational change in UK connectivity over the next decade which will make Crewe the busiest station on the HS2 line.
"It has raised the expectations of the local community and the full weight of the council is behind the project."
She added: "It’s also crucial in terms of creating employment, diversity of jobs, raising aspiration and creating opportunities in education."
In addition to the proposed new HS2 Hub Station, a council team led by consultants Arup and property firm CBRE has created a new masterplan covering over 2270 acres of prime development land in Crewe.
The council has predicted that the masterplan could lead to the development of over 6,300,000 sq ft of commercial space and the creation of 40,000 jobs.
Once HS2 is operational, Crewe will be located within a 25-minute train journey of both Manchester city centre and Birmingham. Central London will be less than an hour away from the town.