Welcome to our new website! We hope you will find everything you need from us here. We would just like to remind people of the ongoing developments on our site, and if you missed any updates over the past few months then this post will leave you up-to-date.
The Cattle Market has been in its current location since 1869 and is a key focal point within the town, playing an important role in Melton’s economy, as a place where those in the agricultural sector can meet and exchange goods and services. As part of the development of this site the southern part of the market was ultimately relaunched as The Stockyard in 2022 to reflect the next stage of its evolution.
On the back of those developments, various stakeholders pulled together plans that would use this local growth as a catalyst to kick-start the development of a centre of excellence for food production and experience. These plans were submitted to the government as a part of a wider Levelling Up Find bid in 2022 and confirmation was received in January 2023 to secure over an £11m investment in the site.
The development will seek to create:
Functional and flexible food production space
- Supporting up to 15 businesses on-site, creating new jobs and a community of producers within the site.
- On-site production will enhance the food theatre experience.
A new Festival Square
- Enable existing events to grow, thrive and attract new events to the area which will increase footfall to The Stockyard and the town centre.
- A broader range of events to attract new people to Melton Mowbray.
Upgraded services
- Renovated and additional toilets, including accessible toilets and changing facilities.
Enhanced public realm and signage
- To ensure new and existing footfall attracted to the site is encouraged to other areas of the town.
The site has been developed in a way where new buildings can blend with the older buildings on site. It has been designed with pedestrians in mind to ensure a seamless transition from one side of the site to another; inviting visitors to roam across the site and encouraging them to explore further into the wider town centre area.
The proposal looks to create four key buildings that face inward to the Festival Square, which will host a range of producers. This layout will also help animate further festivals and events when the square transitions from a car parking area to an event space.
The RIIA funding aims to build upon the town’s reputation as the ‘rural capital of food,’ and promote Melton Mowbray as a multi-functional cultural destination. This enhances the existing offerings at The Stockyard, enabling a future hub for food and drink production units and events space to grow.
