Achievements across corporate plan priority areas published

Achievements have been set out in relation to the priority areas of the council’s corporate plan: community and place; healthy lives; environment and sustainability; and economy (and finance). Some examples of how the council is transforming processes for staff and customers are also included.

In relation to ‘community and place’, approximately £337K of the £1m Community Grant Fund was allocated to 26 projects during the financial year 2024-25, with the remainder continuing to be allocated. The council’s communities' team visited 47 organisations or networks including parish councils, community hubs, sports, leisure and culture groups, schools and young people's groups across all parts of the district to offer support, grants advice and links to opportunities, alongside running four Parish liaison meetings.

In connection with ‘healthy lives’, on average 44 households a month were accommodated in temporary housing. A third of these households were placed within properties now owned by Harborough District Council, reducing costs significantly. The council also reopened its refurbished leisure centre in Lutterworth in August 2024.

Regarding the council’s priority area of ‘environment and sustainability’, approximately 10,000 trees were given away as part of the VE day Celebrations which were funded via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Two Tiny Forests were developed. These dense, fast-growing woodlands, made up of 600 trees each, were planted on tennis court-sized plots in Devitt Way, Broughton Astley and The Headlands, Market Harborough.

The council purchased 133.3 acres of land at Tin House Farm, Great Bowden, Leicestershire, to create a unique project of national significance to restore nature at a landscape scale, bringing benefits to wildlife, people and communities.

In reference to 'economy and finance', the council delivered a balanced Medium Term Financial Strategy making the council financially self-sufficient until March 2026 and sustainable until March 2029. The council also supported residents with the cost-of-living crisis with a third year of 0% increase in green bin waste charges for 2025/26 and a 0% increase in car park charges for the same year. 

By continuously enhancing website forms to support service requests and issue reporting, the council has transformed basic interactions into efficient self-service options with 3,658 forms submitted in the last financial year. The council also took part in the Local Government Association Peer Challenge process which provided an objective evaluation of current practices, strategies, and performance and helped identify strengths and areas for improvement. Both the report and action plan were published on the council’s website. 

Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “The published list highlights just some of the many fantastic achievements the council and its officers accomplished during the last financial year. The council continues to be laser focussed on our clear priority areas, delivering for our residents and communities and striving for continuous improvement.” 

Read the Statement of Annual Achievements in the papers for the Cabinet meeting on 16 September 2025 (see Item 9, Appendix 8 Annual Statement of Achievements 24-25).