National lockdown

From today (5 Nov), a national lockdown begins, until 2 December 2020, with a number of restrictions in force to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Covid-19 cases are rising across the whole of the UK, and in other countries, and the Government has made it clear that we must all act now to control the spread of the virus and protect the NHS.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, the spread of the infection will reduce. 

Information on the new national restrictions has been produced by Government, including what they mean for working from home and business closures, why they are being introduced and the financial support available. 

View more about the national lockdown restrictions here. 

Changes to Council services

There are a number of changes to Council services and Council-run facilities as a result of the national lockdown.

You can find lots of information about our services, including how to apply, report and pay, on our website.

Customer Services face to face appointments will not be available during lockdown but the Council can still be contacted by phone on 01858 828282 or by email at customer.services@harborough.gov.uk

The tennis courts in Welland Park, owned by the district council, will temporarily close and signage put in place, but parks, play areas, skate parks, and multi-use games areas will remain open, based on current guidance, with signage in place.

Football clubs and bowls clubs facilities will close.

Harborough Leisure Centre and Lutterworth Sports Centre will temporarily close - with an option for the public to access Everyone on Demand online sessions and classes.

Public toilets, run by the Council, will remain open. 

Harborough Market's food hall will remain open, selling food and some essential goods, but the non-food stalls in the general market hall will close. 

Full details of all the changes to Council services can be found on our website. 

Coronavirus survey

Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent coronavirus survey, which was aiming to gather feedback on how the Council responded to the pandemic. 
 
We received over 230 responses, all of which will help feed into our ongoing work to support residents and businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery process.

Test and trace payments 

A reminder that residents who have to self-isolate due to Covid-19 can, if they are eligible, apply for a one-off payment to help ease the financial impact of having to remain at home.

Celebrate safely
 
With occasions such as Bonfire Night, Diwali and Remembrance the message is 'celebrate safely, celebrate differently'.

With the lockdown in place, it is crucial that public gatherings do not happen in light of the current pandemic. People need to celebrate differently to previous years and follow national Covid-19 guidance at all times.

You may have seen the 'It's down to us' campaign encouraging us all to work together to protect each other and help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
 
Fireworks and bonfire night
 
A dedicated web page has been created to provide guidance and advice around fireworks and Bonfire Night (5 November), Diwali (14 November) and other events.
 
This also reinforces the motion that was passed by Harborough District Council in November 2019 to encourage organisers of firework events in the district to advertise in advance of the event, to promote awareness of animal welfare, and to encourage the use of 'quieter' fireworks.
 
It also highlights the underlying message in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland that people are urged to 'celebrate differently' and find alternative ways of marking autumnal events (eg. virtual events) and to follow the latest rules and advice around Covid-19.
 
View the page at www.harborough.gov.uk/fireworks

Remembrance
 
Residents are being asked to stay at home on Remembrance Sunday (November 8) and find other ways to honour those who served and sacrificed themselves in the line of duty.
 
Many services and parades have been cancelled or scaled back in line with government guidance on social distancing.
 
Market Harborough's Remembrance Parade will NOT be happening this year.
 
The Royal British Legion will pay their respects privately, and has shared alternative ways for residents to commemorate Remembrance Day such as displaying a poppy in your window.

We are continuing to work with partners, and others, to support our local business community at this time.

A virtual tourism summit is set to take place on Tuesday 17 November, from 10am to 12.30pm, to bring together hospitality businesses in the district to share ideas on how to overcome the challenges of the current coronavirus pandemic.

We are also asking businesses if they could benefit from taking on an extra pair of hands with the help of funding from the Government's Kickstart scheme aiming to help young people find work placements at this difficult time for the UK economy.

We have launched our specially commissioned Harborough Market promotional video which focuses on what a friendly and safe shopping experience people have at the indoor market. 

We're also looking for businesses, venues, performers, and others, to get involved with next year's BIG Weekend of Comedy in the district.

As mentioned above, new restrictions are in place in England until Wednesday 2 December 2020.

These restrictions include the closure of non-essential shops.

However, you can still shop and support local businesses as many are once again adapting their services so you can continue to shop and support the local economy.
 
Check out individual local retailers' social media pages or websites to see how you can shop with them.

All local retailers are listed on our Shop Local page www.visitharborough.com/shoplocal
 
Also keep an eye on our social media pages for local gift ideas and for our '25 Days of Christmas' campaign which will feature a different retailer everyday in December.

The NHS has launched a questionnaire and series of virtual events to explore how it can improve health and wellbeing support for serving, reserve and veteran families in England.

Whilst most armed forces families enjoy healthy lives, the unique circumstances of military life can cause pressures for some, and affect an individual's health and wellbeing.

The NHS wants to help change this, so that armed forces families are able to access NHS services more easily across England.

To share your views on how this can be done, visit here for more information.

The deadline for responding is 30 November 2020.

A woman, who responded to a flyer put through her letterbox regarding rubbish removal, has been fined after the man she paid to take away her waste dumped it in a country lane.

The Leicester resident has been ordered to pay £300 by Harborough District Council after failing to check whether the person was registered to carry and dispose of her waste.

The man, who she paid to take away her renovation waste, later dumped the household rubbish on Gaulby Lane, Houghton on the Hill (pictured) in September 2020 – but the Council's enviro-crime team traced the fly-tip to the resident in Leicester.

The woman, in her 40s, admitted transferring her waste to an unlicensed carrier without making any 'duty of care' checks. An investigation is ongoing to trace the man responsible for the fly-tip.  

It comes just a month after a Corby woman was fined by Harborough District Council after a man she paid to remove her rubbish later dumped it in Welham Lane, Great Bowden.

Householders are legally responsible for any waste produced on their property. They have a duty of care to check that any person or business disposing of their waste is legally allowed to do so.

There are several ways to dispose of the waste that cannot go into wheeled bins:

• Take large waste items to your local recycling and waste site (tip)
• Use a licensed waste carrier to remove your waste - it is a legal requirement to use a licensed waste carrier (you can also check if someone has a licence on the Environment Agency website)
• Our large waste items for collection service allows for up to three large household items or 12 sacks of waste to be collected for a charge of £35.04.

Find out more at www.harborough.gov.uk/tip-off

With the weather turning colder and many of us spending more time at home due to current challenges, now is an ideal time to see if you're eligible to receive a fully funded first-time gas central heating system.
 
Leicestershire County Council has partnered with E.ON and Age UK to launch the Leicestershire Warm Homes Fund.

The local project offers the installation of fully-funded, first-time gas central heating for up to 500 homeowners and tenants. In addition, you may be able to receive free insulation measures for your home, as well as benefit from energy-efficiency advice and support on how to better manage your income if required.
 
Switching to gas central heating can save your household up to £600 each year off your annual fuel bill. Your free new central heating system will include an A rated boiler, thermostatic radiator valves to better control your heat for each room, as well as a programmer to help you keep your home at a comfortable temperature without wasting fuel or heat, which will be connected free of charge if you meet the eligibility criteria.
 
Additional improvements could also be made to your home, such as having cavity wall and loft insulation fitted, making your home more cosy and saving you up to £255 a year.

You can check if you're entitled to any benefits or offers such as the £140 Warm Home Discount off your energy bill and obtain advice on finding a better tariff for your energy bills.

Grants are available to help repair or replace broken heating, and if you already have a central heating boiler, the scheme will help identify alternate funding schemes.
 
Temporary portable heaters are available as part of the project and you can sign up for priority support in the event of a power-cut.
 
Don't be left out in the cold – please fill in a simple contact form: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/warm-homes-fund or telephone 0116 305 4286 & an advisor will complete the form on your behalf.
 
Harborough District Council is actively promoting The Leicestershire Warm Homes project, which is being run in partnership with Age UK Leicestershire and Rutland, E.ON and other local councils to reduce ill health caused by cold homes and fuel poverty.