Here's how you can have your say on the future of green spaces across Harborough

You are being asked to help decide on the future of the Great Outdoors across Harborough.

Your chance comes as Harborough District Council has appointed The Environment Partnership (TEP) to produce a pivotal new Open Space Strategy.

The council will be working with “key stakeholders” to establish the quality and demand of green open spaces throughout Harborough.

But the authority also wants to hear from people who live in the sprawling 238-square mile district in south and east Leicestershire.

Harborough features 1,500ha (3,706 acres) of open space sites of “varying size and typology”.

“These open spaces form a valuable network of green space providing recreational opportunities for the community, as well as essential habitats for a range of species,” said the council.

The Environment Partnership is being drafted in by the council to prepare an Open Spaces Strategy to update the existing plan adopted in 2016.

The council owns and manages 300ha (741 acres) of open space - with the remaining sites in private ownership.

The new blueprint will “provide a robust and up-to-date evidence base to support the Local Plan up to 2031”, said the council.

The information will be easily accessible and cover open space throughout Harborough irrespective of ownership.

“The strategy will enable the council to understand and protect the existing provision of open space, understand its demand, the accessibility requirements, as well as provide recommendations for management and maintenance,” said the council.

“The updated strategy will allow the council to prioritise the development of open space, ensure that poor quality open spaces receive priority for investment and improvement and that open space receives sufficient developer contributions to provide for new communities.”

An “open space calculator” for developers will be created to assess new development against local recommended standards.

“To prepare the new Open Space Strategy, TEP will undertake quantity, quality and accessibility audits of open space sites in the district,” said the council.

The audits were due to take place last month.

“As part of our work, we are interested to hear from the community about their views on the provision of Open Space in the district.

“We have put together a short survey, which we encourage you to fill in,” said the council.

The consultation period will run from Tuesday September 1 until Tuesday October 13.

If you would like more information you can contact Rebecca Martin by email at [email protected]

And you can complete the Open Space Strategy survey here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/TEP-Harborough-District-Open-Space-Strategy/