First neighbourhood forum created in Market Harborough

Market Harborough’s first neighbourhood forum has been created in Little Bowden.

A group of volunteers have been selected to help with neighbourhood planning in the area.

They will aim to create a sustainable environment while supporting businesses and locals. The group will ensure residents have more of a say in planning and how land in their community is used, alongside tackling issues like flooding, traffic and care of green spaces.

Little Bowden is the first of five wards across Market Harborough to have a forum established by the Harborough Town Hub - a non-party political volunteer group, with support from Harborough District Council.

The next step will see forum members develop a statement of neighbourhood priorities, with a longer term plan of writing a neighbourhood plan which covers from the leisure centre roundabout out at The Point, up to the development at the top of Kettering Road.

Forum chair Beverley Brown said: “Over the coming months, working groups will be presenting ideas at public events to obtain feedback from the community about what they value and what they would like to improve about Little Bowden. Ultimately a resulting neighbourhood plan will go to a public referendum.”

Harborough District Council spokesman for neighbourhood planning, Cllr Jonathan Bateman, added: “It is vitally important people have input into the places where they live so I am pleased a neighbourhood forum has been set up in Little Bowden. The formation of this forum will help strengthen the community.”

Other meetings are planed this month to establish forums in Arden, Town Centre, Logan and Welland. A minimum of 21 members are required in each area to form a neighbourhood forum.

Market Harborough residents are not represented by a town council in the same way some towns and villages are in the district. Neighbourhood planning was started under the Localism Act of 2011 and since then 29 neighbourhood plans have been adopted by parish councils across Harborough district.

The forums are part of a wider government pilot scheme encouraging communities to develop neighbourhood plans in a simpler way.

Email [email protected] for more details about neighbourhood forums.