The Minister for Levelling Up visited Rutland yesterday (February 26) to see how the county will spend the millions of pounds of funding it was awarded.

MP Jacob Young met Rutland County Council leader Gale Waller at the council offices before travelling to Rutland County Museum where he met Tim Clough, historian and former curator of the museum. Rutland MP Alicia Kearns, who was instrumental in the county's bid for funding, was also there.

Mr Young said: "It's been fantastic to visit and see where some of the investment will be spent and the difference that levelling up money is making in communities like Rutland.

"Obviously a part of that will be in the museum where we are today, with £2 million being spent embracing projects such as the amazing Roman mosaic discovery.

"I have also heard how the council is looking at the cultural opportunities that both Rutland and Melton are afforded."

Rutland and Melton succeeded with a joint bid to support economic development in both areas, and it was announced last February that £23 million had been awarded.

In March 2023, plans were approved to use £2 million for the funding of a digital visitor experience at Rutland Museum, £3.5 million for a medical research and innovation facility, and £6.5 million for a sustainable travel hub in Oakham helping people across the county gain access to work, learning and other services.

Asked when the residents of Rutland could expect to see the effects of the money being spent, Mrs Kearns replied: "That should be happening right about now," adding: "The council put out tenders for people to apply for our new medi-tech hub, and they are looking at who those applicants were and what they want from that building.

"I think we are seeing progress there, and we even have our first new bus from the rural bus network."

When asked about the Rutland 'sea dragon', the incredible ichthyosaur fossil – the largest of its kind ever discovered in Britain, Mrs Kearns said: "We would all like to see the 'dragon', but it has got to be preserved as everybody knows. It's such an amazing thing, but there is now a national preservation process going on.

"Soon however, we will have the interactive digital display here at the museum, and as we do more and more with Tourism Rutland – and there are a lot of plans in the works with them – we can move that display around the county depending on where we want to drive tourism."