Prep work for the Loughborough inner relief road begins

Preparation work for a £15 million scheme to boost Loughborough's economy, spark regeneration and improve safety has started.

In December Leicestershire County Council was told it had been successful in securing the money from the Department of Transport.

The cash will complete the inner relief road, connect parts of the town centre cut in half by the A6, make environmental improvements and bring in better public transport facilities

Work to prepare for the demolition of 45 Baxter Gate (a former funeral director’s) will begin this week to prepare the ground for the new inner relief road.

Lesley Pendleton, County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: These improvements to Loughborough have been 40 years in the making and it is exciting to see work finally taking place on the ground.

We are hoping that the project will not only make the town safer and more attractive, but will help attract further investment, development and regeneration, and help to secure a prosperous future for Loughborough.

We will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum during the demolition and would like to thank residents and nearby businesses in advance for bearing with us while work is completed.”

Due to the age and complexity of the building, contractors will need to build a new gable wall to support the adjacent property. Because of this, the works are expected to take 16 weeks to complete.

For safety reasons, security fencing will be erected around the site and the existing footpath will be temporarily diverted. However, the pedestrian route from Baxter Gate through to Pinfold Gate will be kept open whenever possible.

The main works are due to begin in October and it is anticipated that the scheme will be completed by spring 2015.

For more on the project visit: www.leics.gov.uk/major_transport_projects

ENDS