Popular paths are being widened across Harborough to help walkers, runners and cyclists to get and exercise during the pandemic

Popular paths are being widened across Harborough as part of a special £1 million Leicestershire County Council Covid-19 initiative.

The busy route from Market Harborough to Lubenham has been made wider and the verges cut back after the scheme was requested by Lubenham Parish Council.

Contractors are also carrying out more verge clearing in Arnesby, Claybrooke Magna, Claybrooke Parva, Kibworth Harcourt, South Kilworth and Coalville to give walkers, runners and cyclists more space.

Cllr Trevor Pendleton, the county council’s Cabinet member for Highways, said: “In September, we committed £1 million through the Leicestershire County Council Highways’ Parish and Community Fund to support communities across the county in recovering from lockdown, helping with social distancing measures, encouraging residents back to our high streets and supporting active travel initiatives such as walking and cycling.

“More than 80 parishes have applied to the fund with a range of work requests from speed limit reductions to vegetation clearing and our highways teams are working hard to progress these applications.”