Creating the region’s biggest rewilding greenspace in our district

We have purchased 133.3 acres of land at Tin House Farm, Great Bowden to restore a nature-depleted area on a nationally significant scale, bringing benefits to wildlife, people and communities.

With the support of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, the Market Harborough Rewilding Project will work to reestablish natural processes and build a network of nature sites where wildlife can thrive. 

It will include a new publicly accessible open space, a country park and a huge rewilding opportunity to reconnect to nature - featuring footpaths, car parking and maybe visitor facilities including refreshments and toilets.

Not only will the countryside be richer, more resilient and productive but people and communities will benefit from being closer to wildlife and all the benefits this brings.

As well as protecting the site from long-term housing development, the project will help us meet our carbon reduction and nature recovery ambitions and provide more opportunities for residents to improve their health and wellbeing.

Consideration is being given to declaring a nature emergency to ensure that rewilding and nature recovery are embedded into the day-to-day thinking and work of council services. A report will be brought before councillors in the coming months.

Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and South Leicestershire contains some of the most heavily modified and nature-depleted areas in lowland England. 

Groups and people who are interested in getting involved in the Market Harborough Rewilding Project can email: rewildingproject@harborough.gov.uk

Have you say on the draft Local Plan before 6 May

There's still time for you to have your say on the draft Local Plan for Harborough district which runs until Tuesday 6 May.

An eight-week public consultation is under way with a further two public events taking place this month to help you find out more about what the plan means for your town or village or for your business:

• Monday 7 April, 4-8pm: Broughton Astley Village Hall (Alan Talbot Room), Station Road, LE9 6PT

• Wednesday 9 April, 3pm -7pm: The Old Grammar School (Main Hall), School Road, Kibworth Beauchamp, LE8 0JE 

Planning officers will be available to guide you through the process of making a representation but will not be able to record any views expressed at the drop-in events themselves. Earlier public events were held at Scraptoft, Lutterworth, Market Harborough and Great Glen.

No decisions have been made about the final Local Plan. Consultation is a key phase in the process and all representations on this consultation will be considered by an independent Inspector appointed to examine the Harborough Local Plan. The council welcomes feedback from residents. 

Grants now available to help residents affected by 6 January floods

Were your internal habitable rooms affected by the floods on 6 January 2025?

If so, then you can apply for a one-off £500 recovery grant.

The impact of the heavy rain on 6 January was severe for some residents and at the full council meeting on 24 February, councillors approved a flood support scheme for households impacted by internal flooding of their homes.

This is a one-off payment to support residents who meet the following criteria:

• You must reside in the property as your main residence;

• Your property must have been internally impacted by flooding and the habitable living areas in your home damaged by flooding on the 6 January 2025;

• The property must be reported to Leicestershire County Council to get a full picture of properties impacted by flooding.  You can report flooding issues to the county council using their online form to report a flood.

Second homes, empty homes, garages, outhouses, basements or cellars and storage areas are not eligible for the grant.

To apply, you will need to complete an application form online. A paper copy can be posted to you if necessary – please phone our customer services team on 01858 828282.

You will need to supply information to support your application, such as dated photographic/video evidence, insurance claim documentation and confirmation of bank details with corresponding property address.

Still a few days left to register to vote in the 1 May elections

You have until Friday 11 April to register to vote in the elections to Leicestershire County Council that are being held on Thursday 1 May.

Registering to vote only takes a few minutes and you will need your National Insurance number to hand. If you’re already on the electoral register you don’t need to do anything – you will receive a poll card shortly (early April).

To vote by post, you will need to apply online by 5pm on Monday 14 April and if you would like someone to vote on your behalf you need to apply online for a proxy vote by 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.

If you can’t easily get online, help is available from our Electoral Services Team on 01858 821372.

Remember, you will need to bring photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote in person. A range of different photo ID will be accepted including a passport, driver’s licence, blue badge, older or disabled person’s bus pass, Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) card and many more. The government website has a complete list of acceptable forms of ID.

Anyone without an acceptable form of ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online or by post. This is a free photo ID document issued for the specific purpose of voting at a polling station. The closing date for this is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.

You will not require photo ID to vote by post or if you have appointed a proxy, although the proxy will need to bring their own photo ID.

If you are too late to return your postal vote pack by post, you can take it to your polling station by 10pm on election day or to the Electoral Services Team at The Symington Building before it closes. Your vote will be rejected if you do not give your postal voting pack to a member of staff at the polling station or The Symington Building and complete a form. The government website has more information on these rules.

By-election in Glen ward

A by-election was held in Glen ward on Wednesday 19 March and Peter Scott was elected. The full result is on our website.

Community groups awarded funding from £1 million grant scheme

Over £250,000 in funding was approved for parishes and towns from our £1 million Community Grant Fund in March.

The grants will support a range of projects aimed at improving local services, enhancing wellbeing, strengthening community engagement and creating a sustainable environment. The latest round of funding received 19 applications.

Recipients included Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council, which was allocated £26,678 to replace and extend the access footpath to Smeeton Road Recreation Ground, Lutterworth Town Council which will receive £39,471 to transform the Pavillion community space, and Medbourne Education Foundation which will get £6,816 to replace playground equipment on the village playing fields. A full list of grants allocated is on our website.

Applications from groups across Market Harborough are encouraged as there is a considerable amount earmarked for the town that is yet to be accessed.

Join events to mark the VE Day 80th anniversary

On Thursday 8 May, we will mark the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, known as VE Day. 

VE Day was both a time of celebration, because six years of devastating conflict had come to an end, and of poignant reflection for the loss of so many service personnel and civilians. 

Commemorations will take place across Harborough district, including in Market Harborough, where we plan to celebrate the anniversary and take time to remember those who sacrificed so much in the war. 

Plans are still coming together but key dates and activities are:

Friday 3 to 4 May

• A 1940s weekend event will take place at the award-winning Harborough Market, including a period style singer, a DJ, vintage trader stalls, classic vehicles. Activities are also being planned for the town square.

Thursday 8 May 

• From 7 to 10pm there will be a beacon lighting event at Coventry Road Recreation Ground in Lutterworth. The beacon will be lit at 9.30pm and there will be entertainment from Lutterworth Town Band and 1940's trio The Boswell Project. A bar, BBQ and other hot food will be available with fun games for the children and goodie bags.

• At 10am there will be a VE Day flag raising ceremony and proclamation taking place near The Symington Building/ Old Grammar School in Market Harborough.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

• At 7.30pm a commemorative service of thanksgiving will take place at St Dionysius Church, High Street, Market Harborough.  This will be followed by an Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial starting at 8.30pm.  Everyone is very welcome to attend - please arrive at least ten minutes beforehand.  

Sunday 11 May 

• A VE Day Anniversary Party in the Park will take place from 10am at Welland Park. Further details can be found online. This event is not being run by Harborough District Council.

We will be sharing information about events across the district on our website. 

If you are organising an event that’s open to the public, please send details to communications@harborough.gov.uk 

Tree planting across the district in boost for nature, climate and people

Tree giveaways and tree planting have featured in Harborough district in the past few weeks with each helping to improve air quality, reduce urban heat and support local wildlife.

Residents have claimed their free fruit tree as part of our tree giveaway to mark the VE Day 80th anniversary, honouring the sacrifices made during the Second World War and celebrating peace and community spirit.

We’ve given away apple, cherry, pear and plum maiden trees to help promote environmental sustainability and improve community engagement across the district.

We will be giving away more free fruit trees for collection in Market Harborough this week - check our social media channels for details: X , Facebook, Instagram.

In other tree-related events, residents came together at The Headlands Recreation Ground in Market Harborough and at Devitt Way, Broughton Astley, to plant two new Tiny Forests.

These are dense, fast-growing woodlands, made up of 600 trees, planted on tennis court-sized plots. As well as enhancing the space for communities, Tiny Forests encourage wildlife such as birds, bees and other pollinators. 

The project is led by environmental charity, Earthwatch Europe and supported by us and the Forestry Commission.

Residents can play an important part in nurturing new Tiny Forests by volunteering as a ‘Tree Keeper’

Annual greenhouse gas emissions cut by 39% since 2019-20

We have cut our total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 39% since 2019-20, while Harborough district’s overall emissions have reduced from 12.6 tonnes per person in 2005 to 7.7 tonnes per person in 2022.

A number of initiatives have contributed to cuts in emissions from the council’s vehicles, offices and leisure centres over the period covered by the reports. Measures taken include installing PV panels, an air source heat pump and insulation at the Market Hall and LED lighting at Harborough Innovation Centre.

We are also working with neighboring local authorities through the Green Living Leicestershire Partnership to help residents reduce their emissions through energy efficiency measures.

The council’s developing plans involve installing more solar PV panels on its buildings, including at Harborough Leisure Centre, and a detailed assessment of the costs of retrofitting The Symington Building.

More EV charging infrastructure is planned around the district, along with additional tree and wildflower planting to encourage the multiple benefits of cooling, biodiversity enhancement and storage for large rainfall events.

You can read the council’s Climate Emergency progress report 2023-24 and Carbon Emissions Inventory report 2023-2024 report on our website.

Beware of fraudsters in car parks

Fraudsters have been putting fake QR code stickers on some of our pay and display machines in Lutterworth and Market Harborough recently.

If you scan it, the QR code takes you to a fraudulent ‘Pay By Phone’ website and requests payment details.

It’s a scam so please do not scan the QR code. We don’t use QR codes at any of our car parks. Anyone using a council parking space should never expect to pay by this method. We have removed the fraudulent stickers and we’re keeping an eye on all of our pay and display locations.

The safest way to pay for car parking is through the PayByPhone app which is on offer at all council car parks and pay and display locations. The PayByPhone app can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Vision for future of local council structures submitted to government

The seven district and borough councils of Leicestershire and Rutland County Council submitted a bold vision which puts people and places at the heart of future council structures to government in March.

The proposals are a response to the government’s English Devolution White Paper which says all councils in two-tier areas, where there is a county council and district or borough councils, must submit proposals to reorganise into unitary authorities.

Our joint proposal for a North City South model of local government would see three equally sized unitary councils deliver all council services. One would serve North Leicestershire and Rutland, and one would serve South Leicestershire. They would work alongside Leicester City Council. 

This would: 

• Keep councils connected and accountable to local communities 
• Simplify services for residents, businesses and partners 
• Protect and support the vulnerable and focus on prevention 
• Deliver devolution and economic growth 
• Boost efficiency, saving nearly £43 million a year    

You can read the full proposal document and a summary document on our website. There will be opportunities for you to have your say in the coming months.

Turning empty properties into much needed homes

We marked national Empty Homes Week in March by encouraging residents to help us reduce the number of long-term empty properties in the district. We’re keen to bring empty properties back into use for people who need a home.

We will investigate reports of an empty property, find out why it is empty and offer advice on how to bring it back into use. We will also help the owners to find tenants.

From April, owners of long-term empty properties may have to pay a Council Tax premium