New MP presses government on funds for southern relief road

it was announced in February that Leicestershire was being allocated more than £238million from the government’s Local Transport Fund as a result of savings from scaling back on the rail project.

The new funding is due to be invested over a seven-year period from April 2025 and the county council is working on a plan on where to spend it.

Mr Argar’s predecessor, Alicia Kearns, had held two meetings with Transport Minister, Mark Harper, about the potential for extra money for the southern relief road, to connect to the North East Melton Mowbray Distributor Road (NEMMDR), which is due to open late next year.

It is not clear whether Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government will honour the allocation made to county transport projects by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Writing in his Melton Times column this week, Mr Argar commented: “A portion of this funding could potentially help deliver progress on the vitally important southern leg of the MMDR to complete the bypass and deliver the full benefits of the scheme, however thus far the new government has been publicly silent on whether it will honour the pledge to provide this funding to our county, and others, so I am pressing them for clarity, and for a firm commitment from them that the promised, and much needed, funding will be handed over to County Hall as originally planned.”

His comments come as work finished early on two new roundabouts for the NEMMDR, which caused the extended closure of the A606 Burton Road and Scalford Road.

The roads were due to reopen on Sunday but the projects were both completed in time for traffic to use them again on Saturday.

From major ground stabilisation and large-scale beam lifting for Scalford Brook’s new road bridge to paving and drainage at the new roundabouts, County Hall say the scheme is now visibly taking shape.

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, county council cabinet member for highways, said: “I’ve recently visited the site and it was a privilege to see just how much work has now been done.”

"It’s hugely exciting to see part of it open to the public.”