# Harborough District

Harborough (/ˈhɑːrbərə/) is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. It is named after its main town, Market Harborough, which is where the council is based. The district also includes the town of Lutterworth and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. In the north of the district it includes parts of the Leicester Urban Area, notably at Thurnby, Bushby and Scraptoft. Covering 230 square miles (600 km$^2$), the district is the largest by area of the eight districts in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the county.
The neighbouring districts are Blaby, Oadby and Wigston, Leicester, Charnwood, Melton, Rutland, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Rugby.

## History

The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of four former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
* Billesdon Rural District
* Lutterworth Rural District
* Market Harborough Rural District
* Market Harborough Urban District
The new council was named Harborough, after its largest town of Market Harborough.

## Governance

Harborough District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Leicestershire County Council. Much of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

### Political control

The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election, being run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Greens, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Phil Knowles.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Since 1974 political control of the council has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
| Conservative | 1974–1987 |
| No overall control | 1987–2007 |
| Conservative | 2007–2023 |
| No overall control | 2023–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2000 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| John Fort | Conservative | pre-2000 | 28 May 2003 |
| Robin Totten | Liberal Democrats | 28 May 2003 | 10 May 2006 |
| Simon Galton | Liberal Democrats | 10 May 2006 | 16 May 2007 |
| Graham Hart | Conservative | 16 May 2007 | Aug 2008 |
| Alistair Swatridge | Conservative | 8 Sep 2008 | Nov 2009 |
| Michael Rook | Conservative | 25 Jan 2010 | 20 May 2013 |
| Blake Pain | Conservative | 20 May 2013 | 18 Sep 2017 |
| Neil Bannister | Conservative | 12 Oct 2017 | 20 May 2019 |
| Phil King | Conservative | 20 May 2019 | 15 May 2023 |
| Phil Knowles | Liberal Democrats | 15 May 2023 | |

### Composition

Following the 2023 election the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 15 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 13 |
| | Labour | 3 |
| | Green | 3 |
| Total | Total | 34 |
The next election is due in 2027.

### Elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 34 councillors, representing 19 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.

### Premises

Harborough District Council is based at the Symington Building, located in the centre of Market Harborough. The building was originally a corset factory, built in 1884. The council purchased the building in 1980 and converted it to become its offices and meeting place, as well as providing a new library for the town. The building is also shared with Harborough Museum, the register office and Job Centre Plus.

## Geography

Situated in the south of East Midlands but linking to Northamptonshire and the South East Region, and between the West Midland and East of England Region with access to three national transport routes - the M1 motorway the Midland Main Line railway and the A14 East West national trunk road, the district has always occupied an important strategic position.
The landscape of the district comprises both pastoral and upland characters. Generally the A6 Market Harborough to Leicester Road forms the boundary between each. The lower pastoral landscape of South Leicestershire is found to the west of the A6 whilst the more undulating upland landscape of High Leicestershire is found to the east.
South Leicestershire consists of gentler country around Lutterworth and Kibworth. Low hills swell out of shallow valleys and villages are pinpointed by church spires peeping above dark spinneys. Near Foxton and Gumley the Laughton Hills tumble down to the Grand Union Canal and Welland Valley, forming one of the best landscapes in this part of the district.
High Leicestershire consists of the tract of land between Market Harborough, Tilton On The Hill and towards Melton Mowbray and forms some of the loneliest countryside in the Midlands. Many villages were deserted centuries ago and remote hills such as Robin-a-Tiptoe in the parish of Tilton peer out over pastures and the occasional farmhouse.
The infant River Avon and River Welland form the southern border of the district with Northamptonshire with sources at Naseby and Sibbertoft respectively.
Brampton Valley Way, the former Northampton to Market Harborough Railway, is now a car free 'linear' park. It provides a 14 mile long walking, cycling and, in parts, horse riding route.

## Demography

Despite Harborough District being the largest in Leicestershire by area it is primarily rural in nature and its population density is relatively low. Population growth for the district is nonetheless healthy and is set out below:
Population growth in Harborough District :
| Year | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 | 2031 |
| Population | 42,469 | 51,390 | 58.093 | 59,941 | 67,601 | 76,598 | 85,382 | 90,400 | 94,000 | 101,000 |
| Census | Census | Census | Census | Census | Census | Census | Census | ONS | ONS Projections | ONS Projections |
The principal centres of population (from 2011 Census) are Market Harborough (21,894), Lutterworth (9,353) and Broughton Astley (8,940) to the south of the district and county. There are four large villages of over 3,000 population - Kibworth (5,455); Fleckney (4,894); Great Glen (3,662) and Thurnby and Bushby (3,301) - these evidence the transition from the relatively densely populated Leicester Urban Area into the countryside/farmland of rural Harborough. Other villages include Scraptoft (1,804), Houghton on the Hill (1,524), Husbands Bosworth (1,145), Great Bowden (1,017), Gilmorton (976), Ullesthorpe (903) and Billesdon (901). The District has 17 parishes with populations between 500 and 3,000, 40 parishes with populations between 100 and 500 and 28 parishes with populations of below 100 (mid-2004 population estimates).

## Built heritage

Stanford Hall, Leicestershire is located in the south west of the district. The village of Stanford-on-Avon is in Northamptonshire but the house and park are on the Leicestershire bank of the River Avon
The Grand Union Canal (old) cuts across the district from Husbands Bosworth to Newton Harcourt with a spur to Market Harborough which leaves the Canal at Foxton.
Hallaton Treasure: More than 5,000 silver and gold coins, around 2,000 years old, were found at a site near Hallaton around 2002. The internationally important finds are exhibited at Harborough Museum.
The Eyebrook Reservoir straddles along the Harborough District's border with the county of Rutland. The reservoir serves as a popular trout fishing area and bird watching area, with nearby Eye Brook Valley Woods as a beautiful and natural small forest area for walking. The Reservoir and woods are cared for by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and are SSSIs.

## Social and sporting

The Harborough District has a long association with fox hunting and is the base for the Fernie Hunt. Although hunting wild animals with dogs has stopped following the Hunting Act 2004, the Fernie Hunt continues to operate under the three principal exemptions to the Act - trail hunting, hound exercise and flushing coverts to a bird of prey. A historical account of fox hunting in the Harborough District (when the hunt was known as Mr Fernie's Billesdon Hunt) is available in the book "Annals of the Billesdon hunt (Mr. Fernie's) 1856-1913 : notable runs and incidents of the chase, prominent members, celebrated hunters and hounds, amusing stories and anecdotes" by F. Palliser de Costobadie. Also see an earlier guide to the fox hunting country north of Market Harborough published in 1882.

## Community organisations

The Harborough Youth Council was set up in 2007 to represent the views of young people (aged 13–19) and aims to improve life for young people. It holds a District Youth Conference each year where young people give their views in front of district councillors. The HYC meets usually once per month, and sends representatives to CYCLe (County Youth Council Leicestershire).
The Harborough District Sport and Activity Alliance aims to make sport and physical activity accessible for all people throughout the Harborough District enabling them to fulfil their potential through sport and physical activity.

## Civil parishes

Most of the district is covered by civil parishes. The pre-1974 urban district of Market Harborough is an unparished area. The parish council for Lutterworth has declared that parish to be a town, allowing it to take the style "town council". Many of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council.
* Allexton, Arnesby, Ashby Magna, Ashby Parva
* Billesdon, Bittesby, Bitteswell, Blaston, Bringhurst, Broughton Astley, Bruntingthorpe, Burton Overy
* Carlton Curlieu, Catthorpe, Claybrooke Magna, Claybrooke Parva, Cold Newton, Cotesbach, Cranoe
* Drayton, Dunton Bassett, East Langton, East Norton
* Fleckney, Foxton, Frisby, Frolesworth
* Gaulby, Gilmorton, Glooston, Goadby, Great Bowden, Great Easton, Great Glen, Gumley
* Hallaton, Horninghold, Houghton on the Hill, Hungarton, Husbands Bosworth
* Illston on the Hill
* Keyham, Kibworth Beauchamp, Kibworth Harcourt, Kimcote and Walton, King's Norton, Knaptoft
* Laughton, Launde, Leire, Little Stretton, Loddington, Lowesby, Lubenham, Lutterworth
* Marefield, Medbourne, Misterton with Walcote, Mowsley
* Nevill Holt, North Kilworth, Noseley
* Owston and Newbold
* Peatling Magna, Peatling Parva
* Rolleston
* Saddington, Scraptoft, Shangton, Shawell, Shearsby, Skeffington, Slawston, Smeeton Westerby, South Kilworth, Stockerston, Stonton Wyville, Stoughton, Swinford
* Theddingworth, Thorpe Langton, Thurnby and Bushby, Tilton on the Hill, Tugby and Keythorpe, Tur Langton
* Ullesthorpe
* Welham, West Langton, Westrill and Starmore, Willoughby Waterleys, Wistow, Withcote