The By-pass

In October of 1984, almost a year after the public enquiry into crawler lane construction, the route of a proposed bypass was confirmed. Original plans were to have a bypass open at both ends of the village, but these were replaced by a plan to have only one access from the west end and to close off the old road to the east. It was considered dangerous to have westbound traffic crossing eastbound traffic at the brow of the hill between the village and the old station.

In September 1987 soil surveys were completed and by October 1988 the draft orders were published. There were some objections raised by local landowners but these were all resolved by March of 1989. On St Georges Day, April 23rd 1990 the construction workers from Midland Oak moved into the village setting up a site office and compound to the north of the A47 just off Hallaton Lane. Apart from the construction of the carriageway, there was also the culverted watercourse to be strengthened to take the extra water that was expected to be drained from the new road into the Eyebrook. The tall streetlights were replaced with columns of a more appropriate height headed by high-pressure sodium lamps giving a much more acceptable colour and intensity. Some new lights were provided along Hallaton Lane at the same time, at the request of the residents.

The new road finally opened on October 27th 1990 and some residents formed an impromptu party in what had now become a quiet village street, formerly a noisy trunk road.

As part of the de-trunking works the footways by the old road in the village were widened thus making the carriageway narrower to encourage vehicles to pass through the village at lower speeds. A ‘nose’ of grass area was formed at the old cross roads which formed a small green area

By November 1991 it was becoming obvious that deceleration lanes were necessary at the Hallaton and East Norton turns from the new road. The Hallaton turn was reconstructed first to be followed by the East Norton turn in January 1993.

The bypass gave the villagers a renewed pride in their village street. A street clean-up was organised to remove the debris resulting from many years of trunk road traffic passing through, and later some planting of daffodil bulbs and trees.

Recently in 2004 a more ambitious planting scheme of more trees, daffodils, crocus, and bluebells, has been supported by a ‘Shire Grant’ from the Leicestershire County Council.