Practical proposed steps for Harborough.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on an existing repair organisation
The grant supports additional reception and training space for Market Harborough Fixers.
Proposed response: Help the group turn extra space into useful repair skills.
Evidence
Who could lead: Harborough District Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Confirm installation and accessible use of the cabin.
- Medium term
Publish practical training sessions.
- Long term
Track repairs and people learning skills.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Market Harborough Fixers training space: Grant awarded
Measure: Sessions delivered and items repaired.
Trade-off: Extra space still needs tools and volunteers.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Market Harborough Fixers training space →
Proposal
Remove barriers to inclusive play
Bellfields funding responds to requests for more accessible equipment.
Proposed response: Test the full playground visit with families.
Evidence
Who could lead: Harborough District Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Review paths and equipment with disabled children and carers.
- Medium term
Verify access at installation.
- Long term
Review reported barriers after opening.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Bellfields accessible play equipment: Funding allocated
Measure: Accessible equipment available and barriers resolved.
Trade-off: Equipment alone may not solve transport or toilet access.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bellfields accessible play equipment →
Proposal
Make Rookery Park easier to reach and use
Kibworth has an allocation for a park path upgrade.
Proposed response: Connect good surfaces with entrances and everyday routes.
Evidence
Who could lead: Harborough District Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Audit surface and access problems.
- Medium term
Complete drainage and path connections together.
- Long term
Inspect after wet weather.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Rookery Park path upgrade: Funding allocated
Measure: Continuous usable paths and fewer surface defects.
Trade-off: Better surfacing needs continuing drainage maintenance.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Rookery Park path upgrade →
Proposal
Keep grant awards distinct from completed facilities
These allocations still need delivery evidence.
Proposed response: Publish the completed work and ongoing care arrangements.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: Harborough District Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Record each grant’s scope and recipient.
- Medium term
Verify installation before marking work complete.
- Long term
Review repairs and community use after a year.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Rookery Park path upgrade: Funding allocated; Bellfields accessible play equipment: Funding allocated; Market Harborough Fixers training space: Grant awarded
Measure: Awarded projects verified complete and maintained.
Trade-off: Small organisations can face contractor or volunteer delays.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Rookery Park path upgrade →
Bellfields accessible play equipment →
Market Harborough Fixers training space →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £973 a month (August 2026) in Harborough council area. This is £486 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.1% in Dunton to 18.2% in Market Harborough-Little Bowden — a gap of 9.1 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Market Harborough-Little Bowden and Dunton; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £973 a month (August 2026) in Harborough council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.1% in Dunton to 18.2% in Market Harborough-Little Bowden — a gap of 9.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 19 of 19 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
22% of people in Harborough council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 15.1% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 28.6% in Market Harborough-Logan — a gap of 13.5 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Market Harborough-Logan and Broughton Astley South & Leire; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 22% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 15.1% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 28.6% in Market Harborough-Logan — a gap of 13.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 19 of 19 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
3.7% of people reported bad or very bad health in Harborough council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 5.3% in Lubenham — a gap of 3 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Lubenham and Broughton Astley South & Leire; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 3.7% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 2.3% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 5.3% in Lubenham — a gap of 3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 19 of 19 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
37.8% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Harborough council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.9% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 16.6% in Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton — a gap of 6.7 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton and Broughton Astley South & Leire; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 37.8% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.9% in Broughton Astley South & Leire to 16.6% in Broughton Astley-Primethorpe & Sutton — a gap of 6.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 19 of 19 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Harborough council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Rookery Park path upgrade →
Bellfields accessible play equipment →
Market Harborough Fixers training space →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 7.4% in Misterton to 15.7% in Market Harborough-Great Bowden & Arden — a gap of 8.4 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Market Harborough-Great Bowden & Arden, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 7.4% in Misterton to 15.7% in Market Harborough-Great Bowden & Arden — a gap of 8.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 19 of 19 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Rookery Park path upgrade →
Bellfields accessible play equipment →
Market Harborough Fixers training space →
