The railway town
| Source | What we used |
|---|---|
| Crewe (town history) Encyclopaedia Britannica | The 1837 opening of the Grand Junction Railway’s line and the 1843 move of its works to Crewe. |
| Crewe Town Council Community Plan Crewe Town Council | That the railway company built houses and facilities for its workers. |
| 1-19 Betley Street (list entry 1138676) Historic England | Listing text for 1-19 Betley Street: ten cottages, about 1848, Grade II. |
| 1-9 Tollitt Street (list entry 1330052) Historic England | Listing text for 1-9 Tollitt Street: nine cottages, about 1848, Grade II. |
| 1-19 Dorfold Street (list entry 1136172) Historic England | Listing text for 1-19 Dorfold Street: ten cottages, about 1848, Grade II. |
| Search the National Heritage List for England Historic England | Where readers check whether any other building is listed. |
Homes and output
| Source | What we used |
|---|---|
| Census 2021 by ward: TS044, TS054, TS046 ONS via Nomis | Tenure, building type and central heating for the 6 Crewe wards and Cheshire East. |
| PVGIS 5.3 European Commission JRC | Fifty-six runs for central Crewe (53.099° N, 2.44° W): eight directions, seven pitches, 1 kWp, 14% losses, PVGIS-SARAH3 2005-2023. |
| Renewable electricity by local authority 2014 to 2025 DESNZ | Solar PV sites in Cheshire East at the end of each year, 2019 to 2025. |
| Solar PV cost data 2025/26 DESNZ | What households paid per kW in 2025/26, from MCS records. |
Rules, schemes and the grid
| Source | What we used |
|---|---|
| GPDO 2015 Schedule 2 Part 14 (renewables), as amended legislation.gov.uk | The national permitted development rules for solar on homes. |
| SI 2026/896 (permitted development amendment) legislation.gov.uk | The amendment in force from 27 August 2026: plug-in panels, walls and balconies, timber. |
| Conservation areas in Cheshire East Cheshire East Council | The number of conservation areas in Cheshire East (76). |
| Conservation area appraisals Cheshire East Council | The Crewe Green conservation area appraisal and the council’s appraisal list. |
| Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes GOV.UK | The EPC C rule for privately rented homes, subject to the cost cap and exemptions. |
| Help with heating your home (Warm Homes: Local Grant) Cheshire East Council | Cheshire East’s Warm Homes: Local Grant: dates, the income test, the landlord share and eligible measures. |
| Apply for the Warm Homes: Local Grant GOV.UK | The national application route for the grant. |
| Switch Together Cheshire East Council | Switch Together in Cheshire East: what it has delivered and the 2026 registration dates. |
| Home energy support schemes (ECO4 and GBIS dates) Cheshire West and Chester Council | That ECO4 runs only until 31 December 2026, for work already under way, and the earlier GBIS date. |
| Find my network operator Energy Networks Association | The postcode search for your network operator. |
| VAT Notice 708/6 HM Revenue & Customs | The VAT rate on installed solar and batteries. |
| The SEG scheme for exported electricity Ofgem | The rules for export tariffs. |
| Warm Homes Loan Scheme factsheet GOV.UK | The government factsheet on the Warm Homes Loan Scheme. |
| Find an MCS certified installer MCS | The register of certified installers. |
| Companies House search Companies House | Where to check a company’s filings. |
How the figures are handled
- Ward counts. Where a page gives a number of households, it multiplies the Census share by the ward’s household total and rounds it. The Census itself publishes shares and totals, not those products.
- Output. PVGIS models an unshaded roof. Chimneys, trees and neighbouring buildings reduce real output, and the model describes an average year.
- Prices. The government cost data gives UK medians and regional averages. Nothing on this site is a Crewe price or a quote.
- Schemes. Dates and criteria are as the council published them on the day we read them. Scheme pages change, so check before applying.
What we chose not to use
Local news reports about repairs to railway cottages, because we could not confirm them from a primary source. Claims about how many homes in Cheshire East have panels that differ from the government count. Any statement about a network operator for Crewe, because the postcode search is the reliable answer.
Who publishes the guide is on about this guide; corrections go through the contact page; the privacy notice and terms explain how messages and the route planner are handled. Every page is listed in the guides.