Planned work will reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide faster local journeys in Britain’s ‘rural capital of food’.
- new road will divert heavy traffic away from Melton Mowbray town centre, improve air quality and boost tourism – backed by £49.5 million in government funding
- planned works in Britain’s ‘rural capital of food’ will include a new single carriageway and junctions, alongside new cycle and footway paths running by the new road
- scheme expected to generate over £144 million in economic benefits and support more than 3,400 new jobs
Residents and tourists in Melton Mowbray and Leicestershire will benefit from more than £49 million in government investment to reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide faster local journeys, the Roads Minister Richard Holden announced today (9 March 2023).
The new road scheme – part of a £115.2 million total investment between the government, local council and private investors – will help unlock the full potential of Britain’s ‘rural capital of food’, stamping out ‘rat running’ car and lorry traffic from Melton Mowbray and making it easier for residents and tourists to access its historic town centre.
With the town famous for its Melton Mowbray pork pie heritage – a protected status – the project will generate an estimated £144 million in economic opportunities by boosting local tourism and supporting over 3,400 new jobs. This will help level up local communities and deliver on one of the government’s 5 priorities to grow the economy.
The scheme consists of a single carriageway road and extends from the A606 Nottingham Road at the north-western edge of the town to the A606 Burton Road in the south, crossing Scalford Road, Melton Spinney Road, A607 Thorpe Road and B676 Saxby Road to Burton Road.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said:
“For too many years, Melton has been plagued by disruptive and polluting traffic congestion which has made it difficult to reach its historic town centre, grow our economy, and savour its delicious pork pies and Stilton cheese.
“That’s why we’re investing nearly £50 million to boost local connectivity and tackle congestion, supporting more than 3,400 jobs to help Britain’s ‘Rural Capital of Food’ truly reach its full potential.”
Melton Mowbray’s historic town centre network is at the convergence of 6 major routes and sees some of the highest congestion levels on a per mile basis in Leicestershire, mainly because of a high number of heavy lorries passing through the town centre.
The new road will take traffic away from the town centre, allowing residents and tourists to visit Melton’s celebrated Market Place more easily while boosting local air quality and connectivity.
The project will pave the way for better active travel opportunities by providing a 3m wide combined cycle and footway along almost all of the scheme’s length. It will also improve bus punctuality by taking lorries and heavy traffic away from the town centre.
As local authorities predict growing demand for travel into Melton Mowbray, local traffic congestion is expected to increase which could seriously affect the attractiveness of the town to tourists and hamper economic growth.
This scheme is just one part of a wider transport strategy for the town which will include other measures to address localised traffic issues, public transport improvements, as well as walking and cycling connectivity.
The new single-carriageway road will be funded by £49.5 million in government investment, alongside £51.7 million by Leicestershire County Council and £14 million by private funding.
