Martin Willey decided to stay at Harborough’s Three Swans Hotel ahead of an awards ceremony the day after in Nottingham.

It is believed to be several years since the head of the RTPI last visited Harborough. It is the biggest planning body in Europe, representing Britain’s 22,000 planners and helps to shape Government policy as well as raise professional standards through education, training and development.

Mr Willey, who has been touring the country for his year in office, told the Mail: “I was very impressed with Harborough – it is a beautiful market town and from what I saw one of the finest in the UK.”

While in Harborough he spoke with planning experts such as Peter Wilkinson, of Lubenham, who runs the Landmark Planning firm in Leicester, and Harborough District Council’s head of built environment Stephen Pointer.

He met planners for a meal at the Han Chinese restaurant in St Mary’s Road, Harborough.

Mr Willey added: “I was made aware of planning applications locally for wind turbines. The tension between local communities and the need for a renewable energy is one being felt up and down the country. I understand a Government appeal is pending and it will be interesting to see what precedent is set.”

He added that he was not surprised to see eco-town proposals such as the one at Great Glen fall through recently as finances were always going to be strained in the current economic climate.

Mr Wilkinson said afterwards: “We are able to discuss some of the difficult planning issues Harborough faces. The president is very keen on renewable energy but fitting what can be obtrusive features into quality landscapes can be very vexatious.

“He was particularly impressed with the town centre which he saw as a quintessential English market town that has grown up over 1,000 years and should be preserved at virtually all costs.”

l STEPHEN Pointer, from the district council, was the speaker at the October meeting of Market Harborough Civic Society.

He gave details of proposed new housing development areas being considered for the forthcoming district’s Local Development Framework document.

A village type development is earmarked to be built at Airfield Farm and larger developments east of Leicester and near Broughton Astley and Lutterworth.

Further development is not being thought about presently for Market Harborough as areas such as Farndon Road, already with planning consent, are currently undeveloped.