Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, visited Market Harborough on 8 September 2021, on a whistle-stop tour to honour the town market's 800-year history.

The Royal couple were guided through Harborough Indoor Market to meet traders who have worked tirelessly to support their community throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

They also spoke to members of the public and local school children, as well as visiting Harborough Museum and unveiling a special plaque commemorating 800 years of the market in Market Harborough. 

Read more and see a few more photos on our Facebook page.

A significant number of affordable homes have been provided in the Harborough district in the past five years – with nearly 1,000 delivered since 2015.

Affordable housing is that which can be rented or purchased at a lower rate than housing on the open market. Providing affordable homes is crucial in helping local people get on the housing ladder or find a property to rent within their budget.
 
The Council's Local Plan requires developers to provide at least 40 per cent affordable housing on all sites, in the district on new developments of more than 10 properties. On occasion, our Registered Provider partners (housing associations) have negotiated additional purchases of affordable homes above our Local Plan requirement.

We have been taking a more proactive approach with developers and housing associations which is yielding results with affordable schemes being negotiated and agreed at much earlier stages through the planning process. 

New meeting spaces, innovative artwork or statues, and the creation of a public plaza are just a few of the proposals being put forward as part of an ambitious vision for Lutterworth town centre.

The Lutterworth Town Centre Masterplan, produced by Harborough District Council with consultants TEP, aims to help strengthen the viability and vitality of Lutterworth's historic town centre, and set out how the town can thrive as a destination for retail, leisure, and community events.

Ideas and proposals set out within the masterplan include new community spaces, improved walking and cycling access, characterful designs linked to heritage, and vehicle speed reductions in key areas – all with a view to "redefining the heart of the town and marketplace" and "redressing the balance between pedestrians and vehicles".

Read more here and view the masterplan 

With Hallowe'en on the way, the Celebrate Safely campaign is offering some important advice to ensure people have fun whilst respecting others:

• If trick or treating, only visit places you know won't mind a visit, and respect the 'No trick or treaters signs'
• Be considerate to others 
• Ensure children are always with an adult
• Keep to well-lit areas, wear reflective clothing and carry a torch

If you don't want trick and treaters at your door you can download a 'Trick or Treaters No Thanks' poster here.

Market Harborough has won gold in the East Midlands In Bloom competition.
 
The town was handed the top accolade in the Large Town category an awards ceremony on 22 September 2021.

It is the tenth consecutive year the team have won gold.
 
Harborough District Council Chairman Cllr Stephen Bilbie escorted the East Midlands in Bloom judges around when they visited the town (pictured top).
 
The town was also handed special awards for the Council's wildflower area project in Welland Park (pictured), crowned the best in the East Midlands and for displays at St Luke's Hospital which were supported by Council contractor FCC Environment.
 
The accolades acknowledge the dedication and hard work of Harborough District Council, FCC Environment, and the Harborough in Bloom volunteers in preparing floral displays in the park and around the town.
 
There was also success for Lubenham In Bloom, winning a silver award in the large village category of the competition.

The first ever Market Harborough Vegan Market will take over The Square, right in the heart of the town, on Sunday 31 October 2021 from 10.30am to 4pm.  

The event will feature a variety of vegan street food, artisan bakes, craft cheeses, handmade cosmetics, ethical clothing and jewellery, arts and crafts and charity stalls. All created by a handpicked selection of talented, ethical and sustainable businesses.

Lewis Beresford, Vegan Market Co's founder said; "We are so excited to be in Market Harborough for the first time. We work hard to find the country's leading vegan producers, from street food vendors and bakers to ethical clothing and cosmetic producers. We also work with many local businesses and can't wait to give all of these fantastic producers the platform they deserve."

The Vegan Market Co ran its first event in 2016 and have grown to cover over 40 locations across the UK. They showcase the country's best ethical and sustainable producers and aim to make veganism accessible and inclusive.

They are also tackling the climate crisis by promoting sustainable lifestyle choices through their events and supporting tree planting and conservation projects around the world.

More than £400,000 is set to help more local projects get off the ground.

Harborough District Council has agreed to allocate the funding to a number of projects – all benefiting from Section 106 money, provided by developers for community and social infrastructure where development has taken place.

The successful projects are:

• Kilworth Sports Club – £40,079.64 to upgrade changing facilities to meet FA standards
• Houghton Field Association – £350,000 for a new pavilion in Houghton on the Hill 
• Houghton Tennis Club – £13,010.24 to resurface the tennis courts 

It comes just a few months after more than £925,000 of Section 106 funding was allocated to local projects by the Council. 

Thousands of pounds in grants have already been handed to local businesses which are recovering from the Covid pandemic – and more are being encouraged to apply for funding.
 
In August, Harborough District Council launched four new Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) schemes, to boost business recovery and growth, and encourage them look to the future in an innovative, greener, and more digitally connected manner.
 
The second round of grants starts on Friday 1 October 2021, for businesses looking to get investment ready, reach new markets, increase customer base or boost resilience. Applications will close on Monday 13 December 2021.

Read more about the grants