Cattle market's £12m revamp to get under way

Construction of a redesigned Leicestershire food and drinks hub, which officials hope will give the local economy a boost, is finally set to start.

Melton Borough Council's plans to regenerate the Stockyard in Melton to create a destination for market vendors and the creative industries have twice been delayed.

Funded with £12m from the government's Levelling Up programme, the scheme was originally planned to start in Spring 2026, but the council revised the timeline last year.

Officials now said work - which faces a new government deadline of March 2028 - should begin the week commencing 5 October.

The Stockyard is already home to a number of food and drink businesses and also holds weekly markets and other events throughout the year.

And while food production would remain at the heart of the site, officials said there was "heightened demand for cultural and educational spaces".

Last year the council said delaying to the new start dates - first July and now October - would allow it to "better support existing businesses and events".

Lydia Rusling, its director of place and prosperity, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the trader hall will be tackled first, with the public area, two production hubs and the anchor building to follow.

She said: "Our priority, first and foremost, is ensuring that the current traders are well looked after during that period.

"Even though the work hasn't been completed yet, we're starting to build up that reputation for Melton being a hub for food, drink and creative industries."

She added that, despite the current "volatile" condition of the construction industry, the project is still on budget.

Leader of the authority, Ronan Browne said the scheme had a key role in driving growth in the region.

He said: "What we're trying to do is lift the offer in the town, and this market is a key part of that.

"This is about bringing more people into the borough, to come and explore it, bring money in, and grow local business.

"The council is the cog in the middle of it all, but we've got all these other cogs around us that we're all working with to try to use this as a catalyst to grow everything else."

Visitors were advised the majority of events and activities will also continue with the exception of the Sunday Market, which was discontinued recently as it "could not be accommodated within the revised site arrangements".

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