Examination of proposed Local Plan to continue in November

The independent examination of Harborough District Council's proposed Local Plan began in August.

The examination will continue during the weeks commencing 9 November, 23 November and 30 November 2026. Further details about the matters to be discussed during those sessions will be published in due course.

The Local Plan is the council's main planning policy document and sets out the vision, objectives, spatial strategy and planning policies for the district until 2041. Once adopted, it will provide the framework for determining planning applications and managing development.

The Secretary of State has appointed three planning inspectors to carry out the examination of the submitted Local Plan. The examination process is led by the Planning Inspectorate, which is responsible for managing the timetable, hearing sessions and overall examination process. 

New grants on offer to support local hospitality businesses

Hospitality businesses are being invited to apply for a new grant scheme to support investment in their premises and services.

Harborough District Council has launched the Harborough District Hospitality Grant Fund offering capital grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to eligible independent hospitality businesses. The scheme aims to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sole traders operating within the district. 

Grants can be used for capital projects designed to improve business operations, increase capacity and enhance sustainability. The scheme is open for applications until 30 November 2026. 

Government pauses local government reorganisation

Government has announced that it is reviewing a number of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) decisions that it made previously, including Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. 

They made a decision in July on a future model for local government which will be reviewed alongside others. It is not clear how long the review process will take or what impact, if any, it may have on the wider timeline. 

Government has stated that local district and borough council elections will now take place in May 2027 on existing council boundaries. 

Local heroes to be celebrated at Community Awards on 1 October

Harborough district's community heroes will be celebrated at our Community Awards on 1 October - thank you to everyone who nominated someone for an award.

Volunteers, inspirational young people, community groups and businesses will be recognised for making a real difference in our community. This year the categories are: 

• Voluntary and Community Group of the Year Young Person of the Year (11-18yrs) 
• Volunteer of the Year (19-59yrs) 
• Volunteer of the Year (age 60+yrs) 
• The Citizenship Cup 
• Stronger Together: Workplace Impact Award Business-Community Impact of the Year Award 

We will have news of the winners in the next newsletter. 

Report on new parish council for Market Harborough to be considered in November

A report on a proposal to create a new Market Harborough parish council is set to be discussed by councillors in November. 

The report will draw on responses from town residents in consultations earlier this year. In April, residents voted in favour of a new parish council in a non-binding poll. This followed phase one of our consultation, as part of a community governance review. 

Are you prepared for flooding, storms and power cuts?

Extreme weather events are becoming more common across the UK with heavy rainfall, flooding, strong winds and power outages disrupting daily life with little warning. 

Taking a few simple steps now can help protect your family, property and community:

Flood preparedness

• Sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings
• Sign up for Met Office weather warnings
• Know how to turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if safe to do so to prepare for flooding. Check Flood Action
• Keep important documents, medications and valuables in a plastic wallet in an easily accessible location
• Prepare a simple flood plan so everyone in your household knows what to do
• Consider property flood resilience measures such as flood doors, airbrick covers and FloodSax

Storm preparedness 

Strong winds and storms can cause damage, travel disruption and power cuts. Before a storm: 

• Secure loose items such as bins, garden furniture and trampolines
• Check weather forecasts and Met Office warnings
• Ensure mobile phones and power banks are charged
• Avoid unnecessary travel when severe weather warnings are in place

Power outage preparedness

Power cuts can happen during storms or due to infrastructure failures so keep an emergency kit containing:

• Torches and spare batteries
• Mobile phone power bank
• Battery-powered radio
• Bottled water
• Essential medication
• Warm clothing and blankets

Remember: if you experience a power cut, call 105 to contact your local electricity network operator. 

Support for vulnerable residents

Priority services are available from National Grid and The Priority Services Register for extra advice and support when there’s an interruption to your electricity or gas supply.

Building community resilience

Leicestershire Resilience Forum flood wardens, flood action groups and local volunteers play an important role in helping communities prepare for and recover from flooding. Consider getting involved in local resilience initiatives and checking in on neighbours who may need extra support during severe weather.

Harborough Physical Activity Awards - nominations now open

Our Physical Activity Awards return again this year and nominations are now open. 

We are looking forward to celebrating many achievements made by athletes, volunteers, pupils, coaches, teachers, community groups and clubs within our district. 

We want to hear about residents' amazing achievements, whether that is someone performing on an international stage, supporting their club or local junior team or making a difference to their community using physical activity.

Harborough district residents can nominate people in the following categories:

• Sports person of the year
• Junior sports person of the year
• Community award
• Senior team of the year
• Junior team of the year
• Physical activity star award
• Twilight achiever of the year
• Club of the year
• Unsung hero of the year
• Disability champion of the year
• The Active Mums Club award

The winners will be announced at an event at Lutterworth Leisure Centre on Wednesday 18 November. You can read more about the awards, the criteria and access the nomination form on the Active Together Harborough website.

Scraptoft residents invited to share views on health and wellbeing

Our Active Harborough team is running a survey asking people living in Scraptoft and the surrounding villages about what matters most in their local area.

Feedback will help the team to understand local priorities and support future work to improve health, wellbeing and community life in the local area. The survey should only take a few minutes to complete and all views are welcome so please share with friends and family who live in the Scraptoft area. 

The team ran two engagement events at the Scraptoft Hub earlier this week.

Look out for our electoral canvass letter and check you're registered to vote

Every year we check the electoral register is up to date. We’re now contacting all households to make sure those eligible to vote are registered.

Your household will receive a letter/form asking you to check your details. Just follow the steps on the letter/form to ensure you’re registered and ready to vote.

Communities invited to apply for new neighbourhood planning grants

Parish councils, town councils and neighbourhood forums across Harborough district are being invited to apply for a share of a new £50,000 Neighbourhood Planning Grant Fund. 

Harborough District Council has launched the scheme to help communities prepare new neighbourhood plans and review existing plans, ensuring local people continue to play an important role in shaping future development in their area. 

Grants of up to £10,000 are available for eligible neighbourhood planning projects. Funding can be used to support a range of activities, including community engagement, technical studies, planning consultancy support, public consultations and other work required to prepare a neighbourhood plan. 

Neighbourhood plans enable communities to influence how their area develops, helping to shape future growth while reflecting local priorities and ambitions. Once adopted, neighbourhood plans form part of the statutory development plan and are used in the determination of planning applications.

Scraptoft and Great Bowden residents to vote on neighbourhood plans

Two referenda on neighbourhood plans will be held on Thursday 8 October 2026.

Residents of Scraptoft and Great Bowden will vote on whether they want Harborough District Council to use their neighbourhood plans to help decide planning applications in the area. 

Residents will receive information about how, when and where to cast their vote.

Get in touch with your local councillor

Would you like to talk with your local councillor about an issue or concern? Visit our website for details of which councillors represent your area and how you can get in touch with them. The website lists contact details and information about political affiliation and personal interests.

You can search for your local councillors by postcode, political party, ward or name. From the same page on our website you can also find details about your local MP.

Tell us what you think of this newsletter

Thank you to those of you who have completed our one-minute reader survey in recent weeks. If you haven't shared your views yet, please do and let us know your thoughts so we can make improvements. Thank you!

Save time - get in touch with us online

Did you know it's often quicker and easier to contact us online? 

Report it 

Report missed bin collections, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour and more online. 

Our online reporting services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

www.harborough.gov.uk/report 

Make a payment 

Find information about paying Council Tax, business rates, planning applications and more:

www.harborough.gov.uk/payment-options 

Apply for it 

Apply for jobs, licences, permits, benefits and more online 

www.harborough.gov.uk/apply 

Contact us

If you have any other enquiries, contact us at: www.harborough.gov.uk/contact 

Not online? 

If you do not have access to the internet, a family member or friend may be able to help you find the information you need. If not, call our customer services team on 01858 828282 

They are available: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.45am to 5pm and Wednesday 9.30am to 5pm. Customer services are closed on bank holidays and for a few days during the Christmas break 

Have your say! 

We regularly consult residents on initiatives and issue publicity to spread the word. Our consultations are on our website so keep an eye out and tell us your views: www.harborough.gov.uk/consultation.

Dates for your diary

• Check the dates and times of upcoming council meetings
  
  
• 26 September, 9am to 4pm, Artisan Fair on the Square, Market Harborough town square

• 1 October, 9am to 3pm, Farmers Market, Market Harborough town square

• 8 October, Scraptoft and Great Bowden residents vote on their neighbourhood plans in referenda

• 17 and 18 October, 8am to 5pm, Railex - a celebration of model trains, Harborough Market

• 31 October, 9am to 4pm, Artisan Fair on the Square, Market Harborough town square

• 5 November, 9am to 3pm, Farmers Market, Market Harborough town square

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