New bypass named Pork Pie Way in ‘defining moment for Melton Mowbray’

New bypass named Pork Pie Way after public vote2 days agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDan MartinLeicester political reporterBBCPork Pie Way was the "overwhelming" winner of a public vote, the council saidPork Pie Way has been chosen as the name of Melton Mowbray's new bypass after a public vote.Leicestershire County Council announced the £131m road would be named in honour of the meaty treat, a speciality of the town's butchers, at a ceremony on Thursday.The council ran a public vote to pick the name and said Pork Pie Way received an "overwhelming" 65% of the 3,975 votes cast.There has been controversy around the vote after the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said Pork Pie Way was "pig-demeaning", and urged the Reform UK-run council to choose Vegan Pie Way instead.Council leader Dan Harrison dismissed the charity's suggestion as "nothing more than pie in the sky thinking".Sections of the 4.4-mile (7.1km) route, around the north and east of the town, are due to open in phases, with it being fully open to traffic by Monday.Galliford Try/Leicestershire County CouncilThe road is intended to ease traffic congestion in Melton town centreMelton Borough Council leader Ronan Browne said: "This is a defining moment for Melton Mowbray. "The new road and its name reflect both our heritage, our character and our ambition, giving the town the infrastructure it needs to grow while celebrating what makes Melton Mowbray distinctive and special. "On behalf of Melton Mowbray, I would like to thank all those involved in making this historic moment a reality."Harrison said the town had been awaiting the road for a long time."It is an absolute honour to mark what is a once-in-a-generation moment for our county," he said."This scheme stands on decades of work and has been delivered through some of the most challenging years any major project could face."From the Covid‑19...