Council ready to give final green light to Melton's bypass

Senior members of Leicestershire County Council confirmed in a press briefing that the authority was still strongly committed to helping fund the North and East Melton Mowbray Distributor Road (NEMMDR) despite its initial cost doubling to around £127million due to inflation and other cost rises.

County Hall indicated back in September that it might no longer be able to contribute to the long-awaited road because of its worsening financial position which meant some schemes in its capital programme needed to be scrapped to prevent the authority effectively going bankrupt.

Members of the council’s highways and transport overview and scrutiny committee resolved at their meeting last month that the council should still pursue building the road after a report stated it still represented value for money and the authority’s cabinet is due to make a final decision on it on Friday.

And, ahead of that decisive meeting, the council said it was recommending to cabinet members to go ahead with the scheme.

Deborah Tayor, deputy leader of the county council, told the briefing: “Looking at what we’ve already spent so far, the figures just didn’t add up for us to pull out to be honest.

"It’s really, really needed for Melton for their Local Plan and the recommendation going to cabinet on Friday is to proceed with the scheme.”

The original £63.5million cost of the road, which would connect the A606 Nottingham Road to the north with the A606 Burton Road to the south, has now escalated to £127.7million because of rising inflation and soaring construction costs.

The government has agreed to pay £49.5million towards the scheme but County Hall’s forward funding of the remainder has now gone up to £51million, compared to £23million just over a year ago.

The county council has asked the government if it can increase its share of the scheme’s costs but is still awaiting an answer. The council say MP Alicia Kearns is also lobbying for more funding.

The NE MMDR will enable 4,500 new homes to be built around the town, with millions paid back to the county council through developer contributions, and 30 hectares of new employment land will become available.

It would also facilitate the building of two new primary schools.

The county council also indicated this afternoon that the planned southern link to the bypass, which has funding in place but which still requires planning permission, is likely to be delayed. This road would link a new roundabout on the A606 Burton Road with the A607 Leicester Road.

Lee Breckon, the council’s lead member for resources, said: “The southern section is a year or two behind the NE MMDR.”

If cabinet members approve the north and east sections on Friday, the final hurdle will be the Department of Transport approving the full business case for the road, which is expected in February.

Work will start on building the road in March with a projected opening to traffic in 2025.