Borough of Melton

Melton is a local government district with borough status in north-eastern Leicestershire, England. It is named after its only town, Melton Mowbray. The borough also includes numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The north of the district includes part of the Vale of Belvoir. Melton is the least populous district of its type and the fourth least populous district in England overall.

The neighbouring districts are Harborough, Charnwood, Rushcliffe, Newark and Sherwood, South Kesteven and Rutland.

History
The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:
 * Melton Mowbray Urban District
 * Melton and Belvoir Rural District

The new district was named Melton after the area's only town, Melton Mowbray. The district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.

Governance
Melton Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Leicestershire County Council. Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

Political control
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a joint administration of Labour and most of the independent councillors, led by Labour councillor Pip Allnatt.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:

Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Melton. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2010 have been:

Composition
Following the 2023 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:

Of the eleven independent councillors, nine sit together as the "Independent Group" which forms the council's administration with Labour. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2003 the council has comprised 28 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

The borough is part of the Melton and Syston parliamentary constituency.

Premises
The council is based at Parkside on Burton Street, adjoining Melton Mowbray railway station. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2011.

When first created in 1974 the council inherited offices at Egerton Lodge on Wilton Road from Melton Mowbray Urban District Council and at Warwick Lodge on Dalby Road from Melton and Belvoir Rural District Council. In 1986 the council moved to a new building called Council Offices on Nottingham Road. The Nottingham Road building burnt down on 30 May 2008. The northern wing of the building was repaired and is now called Phoenix House, but the rest of the building was beyond repair and was demolished. The council instead chose to build new headquarters at Parkside, spending £5.6m on the new building.

East Midlands Councils is based at the Pera Business Park on Nottingham Road, opposite the former Melton borough offices. The former East Midlands Regional Assembly was based at the same site until it was abolished in 2010.

Geography
The district borders South Kesteven, in Lincolnshire, to the east, Rutland to the south, Charnwood to the west (along the A46 Fosse Way), and Rushcliffe and Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire to the north. The north part of the district is known as the Vale of Belvoir.

Parishes
The former Melton Mowbray Urban District is an unparished area. The rest of the borough is divided into civil parishes.


 * Ab Kettleby, Asfordby
 * Barkestone-le-Vale, Plungar and Redmile, Belvoir, Bottesford, Buckminster
 * Broughton and Old Dalby, Branston, Burton and Dalby
 * Clawson, Hose and Harby, Croxton Kerrial
 * Eaton, Eastwell
 * Freeby, Frisby on the Wreake
 * Gaddesby, Garthorpe, Goadby Marwood, Grimston
 * Harby, Hoby with Rotherby
 * Kirby Bellars, Knossington and Cold Overton
 * Saxelbye, Scalford, Shoby, Somerby, Sproxton, Stathern
 * Twyford and Thorpe
 * Waltham and Thorpe Arnold, Wymondham

Economy
Farming and food production are the main industries with Pedigree Petfoods in Melton, and its Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition at Waltham on the Wolds. There is a large creamery (Long Clawson Dairy) at Long Clawson. Samworth Brothers are headquartered in Melton. The Royal Army Veterinary Corps and Defence Animal Training Regiment are also in Melton.

The Birmingham to Peterborough Line runs through the borough, and the borough is criss-crossed by the A607 (Leicester-Grantham) and the A606 (Nottingham-Oakham). Both these roads meet in the centre of Melton (outside Melton Brooksby College), with resulting congestion.

Food
The borough is the home of Stilton Cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.

Media
The area is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central with television signals received from the Waltham transmitter which is situated at Waltham-on-the-Wolds, 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Melton Mowbray.

Radio stations for the area are:
 * BBC Radio Leicester on 104.9 FM
 * Smooth East Midlands on 106.6 FM
 * Capital Midlands on 96.2 FM
 * Greatest Hits Radio Midlands on 106 FM
 * The Eye, a community based station that serves Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir on 103 FM

Local newspapers are Leicester Mercury and Melton Times

Education


Until September 2008, the district operated the three-tier education system, whereby there were three middle schools. All these schools fed into the same upper school in Melton from 14-18. At both GCSE and A level, the district's results are above the England average. From age 16 Students can attend either Melton Vale Post 16 Centre for academic sixth form courses, or Brooksby Melton College for vocational courses.

Demography
The Borough of Melton has experienced steady population growth in recent times albeit at a rate lower than the other districts within Leicestershire.

Highest rate of accidental death in England in 2010/11
In March 2012, Melton was identified as having the highest rate of accidental death by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, with statistics over the period from 2010/11 showing an average of 29 deaths for 100,000 people.