New funding bid to boost Melton's food heritage, theatre and buses

Clockwise from left, Melton Theatre, The Stockyard and local bus services, which all benefit if a new funding bid is successful

A major new hub for food producers and events, further upgrading of Melton Theatre and two new bus routes will be provided if a new multi-million pound ‘levelling up’ funding bid is successful.

Melton Borough Council and Rutland County Council have joined forces to submit a joint bid to the government for £23million in the second round of its Levelling Up Fund.

The money will partly be used to develop over 2,500sqm of flexible food and drink production units within The Stockyard – based at Melton Livestock Market – alongside a multi-functional event space which could host large events and activities throughout the year. The site would also include a support service to help small or upcoming local producers develop and grow.

Potential upgrades at the theatre, which recently reopened after a major renovation programme, would make the space more accessible, ensuring it is able to secure and attract larger scale commercial events more often to provide a regular calendar of activity to help boost the evening economy.

Melton’s proposals in the bid also focus on improving the mobility between both Melton Mowbray and Oakham, particularly for rural residents, through developing two distinct bus routes.

Borough council leader, Councillor Joe Orson, said: “Melton Mowbray and Oakham are rural, historic market towns with huge potential for growth.

"The bid submission focusses on our distinctive local assets, capitalising on the economic potential of both areas to push economic innovation, cultural destination and mobility.

"Through building closer links between the two regions and developing the proposals on offer we can help make these two rural regions of the East Midlands, vibrant hubs for tourism and innovation.”

The Rutland elements of the bid would see parts of the county museum, at Oakham, digitalised to allow the more unique and delicate assets they have secured, such as the largest Ichthyosaur fossil and their 4th Century roman villa mosaic, to be more accessible to the public.

Plans are also in place to create a Medi-Tech centre at Rutland Hospital, providing a suitable training base for students in the local universities, tackling the well-established understanding that the antidote to the skills shortages, at the heart of rural health inequalities, lies in the development and training of people in rural settings themselves.

Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, who has been involved in the local bid being drawn up, said: “This fantastic bid sees Rutland and Melton make the case that we can be rural powerhouses.

"The proposals would deliver on the aspirations and priorities of our local communities around health, transport, job opportunities and celebrating our unique heritage and culture and help level up our rural way of life.”

Councillor Lucy Stephenson, leader of Rutland County Council, said ‘We are pleased to be working alongside Melton Borough Council on the Levelling Up bid.

"This bid focusses on key priorities for us in Rutland.

"If successful we will see real benefits to our residents, businesses and visitors by reducing health inequalities, increasing highly skilled job opportunities, improving mobility throughout the area, increasing access to cultural offers and much more.”