Rutland’s New Cold Overton Road Oakham Rutland Transport Hub Connecting Communities and Care
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Rutland County Council’s ambitious new transport and community facility known as the Local Link project is taking shape on Cold Overton Road in Oakham.
The comprehensive transformation of the existing Jules House building on Cold Overton Road represents a £4.5 million investment.
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Situated right next to the Rutland Memorial Hospital, the Cold Overton Road hub has been strategically designed to bridge the gap between local transport and healthcare services:
The development includes provisions to reopen and upgrade local footpaths (such as paths connecting the site toward the nearby care village and health facilities), making it seamless for NHS staff, patients, and visitors to travel between the hospital and the transport hub.
The facility supports closer partnership working between Rutland County Council and local NHS services, helping to remove logistical barriers for community health outreach, adult care, and medical appointments.
The hub will act as the operational heart for Rutland's integrated rural transport and community infrastructure:
The building features a remodelled interior, a two-storey extension housing a transport office, community spaces, and first-floor office areas available for rent to ensure long-term economic viability.
The transport hub will base and service a fleet of electric minibuses, supporting green travel targets and sustainable local mobility.
The hub and its associated green transport fleet are targeted at improving connectivity between Oakham and Melton Mowbray, while acting as a vital anchor point to feed into wider demand-responsive transport networks (such as Callconnect services) that link isolated rural villages to central hubs and health facilities.
Appointed regional construction specialists Stepnell kicked off major construction work in February 2026. Demolition, site clearances, and structural extensions have moved forward swiftly, with roofing and building work nearing completion, and car park reconfigurations currently underway.
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Construction works are on track to wrap up around late Autumn 2026.
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Based on historical building surveys and local records for Jules House on Cold Overton Road, here is the chronological list of the distinct functions and uses the building has served over the decades:
Private Residential Dwellings (Late 19th Century – Mid 20th Century) Originally constructed during the Victorian era as two separate residential houses (a larger L-shaped house on the east side and a smaller, simpler dwelling on the west side).
Amalgamated Offices & Care Centre (Mid to Late 20th Century) Following structural alterations that knocked through to merge the two properties into a single building, it transitioned out of private residential use into public and institutional service.
Youth Club Facility (Late 20th Century) For a period, the building served the community as a youth club.
Pinewood Hostel Community Centre (Recent Decades) Operated by Rutland County Council as a community hub and centre associated with the Pinewood Hostel services before becoming vacant and subsequently slated for its current transformation into the multi-million-pound transport "mobi-hub"
For more local news, community updates, and what's on in the area, visit: https://www.oakhamandrutlandnews.com/
Including Market Place, Market Street, Church Street, Crown Walk,
John Street, Melton Road and Deans Street and Gaol Street.
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