'Handing back £50M government bypass funds is unthinkable'

Melton MP Alicia Kearns checks out the route of the MMDR with borough council leader Joe Orson earlier in the planning of the relief road

We reported earlier today that County Hall had announced it desperately needed to make huge savings in its budget to balance the books for next year.

One of the projects which could be chopped from its capital programme, and which county councillors had agreed to spend millions of pounds on, is the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road (MMDR).

The county has blamed rising inflation, the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, spiralling building costs and the lingering impact of Covid, as well as being drastically under-funded by the government for its perilous financial situation.

Mrs Kearns visited the site of Sysonby Farm back in April as work got underway to demolish buildings to make way for part of the MMDR route, which was expected to start being built in the spring of next year.

Reacting to today’s news about the county council’s budget, Mrs Kearns told the Melton Times: "Ever since my election the MMDR has been threatened by the county council.

“Leicestershire MPs secured one of the very few coveted opportunities to secure a County Funding Deal from government, but the Labour Mayor of Leicester is refusing to sign up even though it would bring significant funding for Leicestershire, Rutland and Leicester.

"It would be unthinkable for the county council to hand back £50 million of government funds which I've helped secure for the north and east part of the road.

"Works began a couple months ago and this road is needed for growth and infrastructure."

The county council has put an initial list of potential areas to investigate for possible service changes or reductions.

This includes gritting, parks, bus subsidies, projects reducing smoking and boosting health, Beaumanor Hall and planned big road schemes.

The leader, Nick Rushton, said: “Our financial situation is frightening, worse than the years of austerity.

"We’ve lost £230million a year in spending power since 2010.

"We’re very lean so it’s not possible to balance the books without impacting front line services.

"We pride ourselves on doing the best we can with the money we have but we will have to make some tough decisions. Nothing is off the table.“As the lowest funded county council under the government’s funding system, Leicestershire will always be sensitive to financial shocks.

"But the challenge currently being faced will put even the best funded local authorities under pressure."

Cabinet member for finance, Lee Breckon, added: “We knew earlier in the year pressure was building, but a perfect storm of global events such as Covid, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, plus spiralling service demand, means we now have to look across the board at all services."And this will include things that affect our everyday lives such as road repairs, gritting, big road schemes and waste sites, as well as support for adults and children.”