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News and Features from Harborough District Council - June 2021
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Cllr Phil King 
Leader of Harborough District Council
 
Working together to create cleaner, greener district
In this month's newsletter, we are launching an important consultation to get the views of residents - of all ages - from across the Harborough district about how we can work together to tackle climate change and make our district cleaner and greener.

Climate change is a global issue, but it is at a local level that we can make a positive difference.

The Council already has a priority to reduce its carbon footprint over the next decade and has made huge strides by lowering the amount of carbon dioxide we produce as an organisation by 42% since 2008.

We know there are people who can help us further and this consultation is an opportunity for you to get involved and provide a valuable contribution.

With the environment in mind, I am delighted that our 'zero-tolerance' stance on fly-tipping has resulted in a further reduction of recorded incidents in the Harborough district.

This is a great example of how the Council is working with residents to achieve a common goal - reducing the blight and pollution that illegal dumping of waste has on our countryside. I thank everyone for helping us beat our targets on this.

I'm sure that by working together on our climate change strategy, we can reap similar positive outcomes.

Cllr Phil King
 
Bargain hunters set to return to market
The popular Antiques Market is set to return to Market Harborough over the bank holiday weekend – with a new Sunday carvery available at the café.

Harborough District Council has announced that the Sunday Antiques Market will return to the indoor market, in Northampton Road, on Sunday 30 May, from 10am to 3pm.

The antiques market had been on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic but will restart with safety measures in place on the bank holiday weekend.

Social distancing measures, including a one in-one out system at entry on Northampton Road, a revised layout and hand sanitiser stations, will be in place.

The return of the Sunday Antiques Market also sees the launch of a new Sunday carvery at the Market Café.
Tell us how we can work together to tackle climate emergency
 
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People are being asked to have their say on tackling climate change across the Harborough district.

Harborough District Council is asking residents and businesses for feedback on its climate change action plan and how it is looking to reduce carbon emissions over the coming years.

In June 2019, Harborough District Council declared a Climate Emergency. This followed on from many years working on action plans devised as part of the Local Government Association initiative; 'Climate Local', which Harborough District Council committed to in 2013.

The Council has committed to reducing its own emissions to net zero, as far as practically possible, by 2030. The aim is also to support communities and businesses in reducing their emissions too.
Harborough district has higher than the UK average emissions, and over 55% of emissions are due to transport. The draft Action Plan identifies six key commitments which residents, of all ages, are encouraged to read and respond to as part of an eight-week consultation running until Friday 30 July 2021.

An adopted plan is expected to be published in the autumn of 2021.

Read the climate emergency action plan and have your say at www.harborough.gov.uk/climateconsultation 

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council portfolio holder for Climate Change, said: "From school-age children to retirees, your opinions matter to us and we encourage everyone to get involved to support us in making the right decisions for Harborough district and to react decisively and positively to this serious climate emergency situation."

Paper copies, for those without the internet, are available at Broughton Astley, Lutterworth and Market Harborough libraries. Alternatively, people can complete the survey, via telephone, with a customer service advisor, by making an appointment on 01858 828282.

To find out more about emissions and advice on reducing carbon emissions on our website.    
 
Fly-tipping reduction is 'phenomenal success' as incidents fall again
 
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Pictured: (l-r) John Kemp from HDC, Dan Edgerton from FCC, Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Jordan Smith and Diane Peacock from HDC
 
 
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Fly-tipping in the Harborough district has fallen for the second year in a row, latest figures have revealed.
Harborough District Council's successful Tip Off campaign continues to drive down fly-tipping in the Harborough district – bucking the national trend which has seen incidents increase.

From April 2020 to April 2021, there were 467 fly-tips in the Harborough district, down from 484 the previous year (2019/20) and down from 728 the year before that (2018/19).

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste; it can be dangerous to human and animal health, and can pollute land or waterways. It is also expensive to clear; a recent Local Government Association report revealed that Councils in England spent just under one million pounds (£976,000) clearing fly-tipping in the last year ranging from Tarmac and asbestos, to tyres and even a boat.

But locally, the Tip Off campaign continues to make an impact, and earlier this year, Harborough District Council, in partnership with its contractor FCC Environment, won a National Recycling Award for tackling fly-tipping in the district. 

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council's Cabinet lead for environment and waste, said: "When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we became acutely aware that a consequence could be an increase in fly-tipping, but thanks to the tenacity of our investigative team and the Tip Off campaign, we have not just sustained the reduction of the previous year, we have reduced incidents further and that is a phenomenal success. We'd like to thank residents who continue to be the eyes and ears of the community in providing information to help with our investigations. Sadly, the issue has not gone away and we all need to remain vigilant, particularly by always checking that anyone removing rubbish from your property is licensed to do so."

Residents and businesses are legally responsible for any household waste produced on their property. They have a 'duty of care' to check that any person or business disposing of their waste carries a valid waste carrier's licence.

This has been a key message which the Council has promoted through radio adverts and on social media, with any fines issued to fly-tippers publicised. The Council is also using covert CCTV in fly-tipping hotspots, in-car cameras, daily patrols, and warning banners on the side of its refuse collection vehicles.

Checks are also made whether businesses have the appropriate paperwork in place to dispose of the waste they generate, however – during the pandemic – the emphasis was on education rather than enforcement.

The Council also recently reported how a police helicopter had assisted in tracking and catching fly-tippers in the act locally.

For further advice about Tip Off visit www.harborough.gov.uk/tip-off
 
Trees to blossom in town parks each year as poignant reminder 
 
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Single cherry trees have been planted in two locations in the Harborough district to acknowledge the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Harborough District Council Vice Chairman Cllr Neil Bannister (pictured) recently visited Lutterworth Country Park to see the cherry blossom tree planted to honour those who have served their communities during the coronavirus pandemic, and to provide those who have experienced grief and loss with an opportunity to reflect.

Cllr Neil Bannister, said: "I am very grateful to the Council for planting this tree, which will blossom every year, and provide much significance in honouring the key workers and community volunteers who have played such a vital role during the coronavirus pandemic, and for those who may have lost loved ones or people they know; it is a place to come to reflect and remember."

A similar tree was also planted at Welland Park in Market Harborough.

During the pandemic, volunteers and community groups worked with the Council to provide support to residents who were self-isolating or who needed urgent medical supplies or food parcels. 
 
Join the business innovators in our district at exciting virtual event
 
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The most innovative and entrepreneurial businesses in the Harborough district are set to take part in a unique virtual event – and more people are being invited to take part.

The Meet the Innovators event, hosted by Harborough District Council and Harborough Innovation Centre, will provide a platform for businesses in the Harborough district to come together and showcase their ideas and innovations.
   
It will also provide support for businesses with access to finance, skills, research and innovation to elevate growth.
 
A number of businesses and organisations are already lined up to take part, but invitations are open for other businesses or entrepreneurs to come forward to highlight their innovations.

The online event will take place on Wednesday, 23 June 2021, from 12noon to 1.30pm.

Cllr Phil King, Leader of Harborough District Council said: "We have a large number of pioneering and inventive businesses across the Harborough district, many of whom are operating from the Harborough Innovation Centre, so this event is bringing some of those together with the aim of helping and inspiring others to find new ways to innovative and achieve success."

The event will feature the following line up:
  • Introduction by Harborough Innovation Centre
  • Invest in Harborough by Economic Development
  • Business innovators
  • Innovation support by Leicester Innovation Hub
  • Closing by Harborough Innovation Centre

Cllr James Hallam, the Council's Cabinet lead for the Innovation Centre, said: "We have some very interesting spokespeople lined up for this event, but we're also looking for others who may have, for example, adapted to challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic in innovative ways, or who may have useful tips to share with the business community."

Anyone who would like to be speaker at the event should contact Crystal Carter by emailing c.carter@harborough.gov.uk

Register to view the event at www.bizgateway.org.uk/events/meet-the-innovators  
Participants will be sent a Microsoft Teams link closer to the event.

For more information about Harborough Innovation Centre, or to enquire about office space, visit www.harborough-ic.co.uk
 
Call for good causes who need help raise funds - plus 'pear-fect' prize
 
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We are looking for good causes in the district to sign up to the Harborough Lotto so we can help support them raise funds.

As we are coming out of restricted measures, charities and not-for-profit organisations have never needed funding more, so if you know of a cause that we could help, please ask them to visit www.harboroughlotto.co.uk and sign up.

There are no admin fees and never will be; we will even supply the marketing material.

With 56 causes already signed up, we also need supporters.

It costs £1 per ticket and you have a 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize each week with the top prize being £25,000, and if you enter before the 26 June 2021, you are also in with chance to WIN 1 of 3 tasty national prizes of 12 monthly fruit & veg boxes delivered to your door from Boxxfresh – a super friendly, family ran UK business.
 
Major lottery funding secured after visit to our 'Dragon's Den' event
 
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A visit to the Council's 'Dragon's Den' style event has resulted two local charities securing major National Lottery funding.  

Harborough District Children and Young People's Charity (HCYC) and Room For Music took part in the Dragon's Den event in September 2019 which featured a representative from the National Lottery on the panel, among other influential and potential funders.

Both charities recently learned that the National Lottery would be funding them with HCYC being handed £440,000 grant, and Room for Music receiving £147,250, over the next five years.

HCYC provides play and youth work provision, and Room For Music offers musical opportunities for young people through workshops and a studio.

The Council's 'Dragon's Den' style event is inspired by the popular BBC television programme but is much more informal and relaxed. At the event, local community groups and individuals are invited pitch their project to a panel of funding experts. In return, they get specific advice from the panel about potential funding, key criteria, and next steps to help secure successful grant applications.

The event has seen thousands of pounds secured for local projects since it was launched by the Council in 2015.

Separate to the Dragon's Den event; it was also announced that the National Lottery would be funding the Academy for Dementia Research and Education (ADRE), which is at based on the Lutterworth College site. They will receive which was £450,000 from the National Lottery, plus £58,000 allocated by Harborough District Council from Section 106 funding.   

Jane Beaumont from ADRE said: "We are extremely grateful for the funding which has allowed us to have a base so that people can get to know who we are, where we are, and what we do."

Pictured top: Martin Whiteman and Mike Heaps from Room For Music at the Dragon's Den event and, bottom, Jane Beaumont (left) and Jackie Parkes (right) from ADRE.
 
Jobs initiative is made permanent 
Following the success of the Council's inaugural Harborough Jobs Week earlier this year, the initiative is being rolled out on a permanent basis.

During Harborough Jobs Week, over 50 local jobs were shared, along with apprenticeships, Kickstart placements, employment support opportunities, and webinars.

Due to the success of the week, Harborough Jobs will become a permanent service for the district.

The aim is to provide help with CV and interview skills, support programmes and local vacancies.

It will be available to anyone who is unemployed, or those in work but seeking new opportunities.

To find out more visit
www.investinharborough.com/
harboroughjobs
or email business@harborough.gov.uk with job vacancies.
 
Have say on powers to tackle 'gas' misuse
A reminder that you have until 18 June 2021 to have your say on the introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for use of psychoactive substances, such as nitrous oxide (or 'laughing gas'), linked to anti-social behaviour.

Concerns have been raised by the Police and the Council about an increase in calls about drug paraphernalia linked to psychoactive substance misuse - in particular the little silver nitrous oxide canisters, often left behind en masse in parks and other public open spaces.

A PSPO is an order that can prohibit a specified issue from affecting a public place and provides police and local authorities with an appropriate sanction.

Share your views at www.harborough.gov.uk/ consultation  
 
Bid to install more electric charge points
More electric vehicle charging points are set to be introduced across the Harborough district following a successful funding bid.

To meet the increasing use of electric vehicles in the district, 10 extra electric charging points will be installed at car parks after the Council heard, this week, that the Government funding bid was approved. 

The new charging points could also benefit residents without driveways, or access to off-street parking, who can charge their electric vehicles overnight in the car parks, whilst just paying for the power used. This will allow them to opt for an electric vehicle when they change car.

The Harborough district currently has six charging points in four car parks. The Government funding will provide 75% of the project cost with the remaining 25% coming from the Council and partners.
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