Referendum on possible town council for Harborough takes place on April 30 - will it offer value for money or come with extra costs?
A referendum on whether Market Harborough should have a town council is taking place on April 30.
Because of the national local government reorganisation plans, many district councils around the country have been looking at whether to create or change new parish councils in the unparished parts of their area.
Market Harborough does not have a parish council, meaning that the district council provides services such as parks, play areas, cemeteries and bus shelters that in other parts of the district would be provided by a parish council.
The referendum was triggered in November 2025 when Harborough District Council received a petition, signed by more than 1,800 people, calling on them to look into whether Harborough should have its own parish council.
As the petition included more than 7.5 per cent of electors for the area, the council is required to conduct a Community Governance Review, to look at the arrangements in place within the town.
Over the past few months, we have been publishing both sides of the debate - and with the deadline approaching, here are some arguments in favour (by Harborough District Council) and against (by Harborough MP Neil O’Brien).
“The council has not been upfront about the likely cost to taxpayers,” says MP
Harborough MP Neil O’Brien claims that residents are being asked to vote on the issue without a full understanding of the cost implications.
“Harborough District Council is promoting this idea, but it has not been upfront about the likely cost to taxpayers,” he said.
“Experience elsewhere shows what these councils actually cost.
“In Braunstone Town, which is slightly smaller than Market Harborough, the town council costs an additional £238 a year for a typical Band D property on top of normal council tax.
“In Lutterworth, it is around £136 on top of normal council tax.
“These are the kinds of costs residents in Market Harborough are likely to face once a town council is fully established.
“Yet the figure being put forward by the council is just £14.50 for a Band D property.
“That is only for the first year and is a number that only reflects set-up costs and not the ongoing reality.
“That is not a realistic reflection of what people pay year after year in places where such town councils exist.
“It is not acceptable to ask people to vote on creating a new council without setting out clearly what it will cost them in the long term.
“My concern is that people will vote thinking this is a low-cost ‘nice to have’, only to find later that it comes with a significant and permanent increase in their council tax bill.”
'We want what is best for the community' says Harborough District Council
In response, a Harborough District Council spokesperson said: “At present, Harborough District Council provides services that are usually provided by a town council, and charges residents Special Expenses for this.
“The Special Expense charge on residents’ bills for 2026- 2027 for a Band D property was £67.71. In future, these services could transfer to a parish council.
“The consequence of that would be that Special Expenses go down by this amount, and the parish precept goes up by that amount.
“The £14.50 per Band D is on top of that and this is likely to cover the cost of a parish clerk, office space and its share of the costs of the first elections.
“Beyond the first year, we cannot determine what the level of council tax would be as this would be a decision of a new council and the unitary council.
“They may choose to operate or fund services differently which could impact on the cost. The total council tax bill for residents may go up or it may go down.
“For this reason, the law requires that Harborough District Council has to make its decision about whether to create a new parish council based on what it feels is best for community governance.
“It will be a decision of the newly formed parish council if they wish to rename themselves to Harborough Town Council at one of their first meetings. Legislation requires it to be established as a parish council initially.”
Depending on the outcome of the referendum, a town council for Market Harborough could be set up in either April 2027 or 2028.
District council leader Phil Knowles added: "I have been a firm advocate of undertaking a Community Governance Review to understand whether the residents of Market Harborough would want its own parish council.
“With the potential reorganisation of local government in Leicestershire, a parish council for Market Harborough could mean ensuring the community has a strong, local voice and decisions being shaped by the people who know Market Harborough the best.
“A parish council could also take on services such as looking after parks and open spaces and the town centre.
“I am delighted that so many people took part in the recent consultation and I look forward to hearing the outcomes of the community poll."