Almost £30 million secured to help bankroll new community facilities and infrastructure across the Harborough district

Representatives from Lutterworth Museum and councillors outside 'High Point', the new location for Lutterworth Museum.

Almost £30 million has been secured in the last five years to help bankroll vital new community facilities and infrastructure across Harborough district.The huge amount of cash has been handed over by developers through Section 106 agreements to create health, homes, and leisure opportunities where houses have been built.The money has helped to finance new play areas, sporting facilities and village halls as well as to provide affordable homes for people struggling to buy or rent a home on the open market.

“This will also provide new and improved community facilities, upgraded open spaces, health facilities, police contributions, and Lutterworth Museum in the future,” said Harborough District Council.“Since 2017 the total provided from developer contributions for community facilities in the district is approximately £16 million.”That includes £5.5 million of developer contributions to boost Lutterworth and Broughton Astley.

Some £7.3 million has been ploughed into the heart of the district – including Fleckney, Husbands Bosworth, Lubenham, Foxton, Market Harborough, Great Bowden and the Langtons.

And £3.2 million has been poured into the east of Harborough district, such as Scraptoft, Great Glen and the Kibworths.An extra £12 million has been injected into education through developer contributions, agreed by Leicestershire County Council, as a result of new homes locally.

Money has also been pumped into travel, highways, household waste and recycling sites and libraries.Cllr Phil King, who leads Harborough District Council, said: "This is a huge amount of money secured for much-needed new facilities in our district – now and in the future.

“New homes are needed,” said Cllr King.

“And where development takes place we, as a council, work hard, in partnership with the development industry, to improve infrastructure, ensure communities are sustainable, and help offset any potential impact of new houses."

Harborough council also invites parishes and community groups to apply for Section 106 grants to support much-needed projects.

Since 2017 the authority has shelled out nearly £5 million (£4,487,750) to over 100 schemes across the district and is currently inviting new applications.To apply for Section 106 funding towards a community initiative in Harborough visit: https://www.harborough.gov.uk/section106