Tree planting set to mark first year of Harborough rewilding project

The project, which is being managed by Harborough District Council, is aiming to restore nature on 130 acres of land to the north of Market Harborough and Great Bowden.

The Liberal Democrat-led council claims the project will be of ‘national significance’, and will see work to restore a nature-depleted area, re-establish natural processes and build a network of nature sites.

It is being completed with support from groups including the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and the council hopes it will leave ‘a lasting legacy’.

Council leader Phil Knowles said: “The Rewilding Harborough project will be a lasting legacy for generations to come, and the planting of a tree seems an appropriate way of marking the year that this initiative began.

“Rewilding Harborough will be a catalyst for a strategic partnership that will rewild around 500 acres of nature-depleted countryside in total, protecting it as public open space and bringing nature back to the area.”

The council’s Conservative group claim that the project has ‘no plan and no budget clarity’, with £3.3 million already spent on it.

Conservative finance spokesman Phil King said: “The council have splashed £3.3 million on rewilding land in the Leader’s own ward, with no plan, no oversight, and no accountability, while letting the district’s housing supply collapse to 3.1 years.

“That means more speculative estates, more traffic, and fewer developer contributions for local infrastructure.”

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