A 1940’s weekend is taking place at Harborough Market to celebrate the upcoming 80th anniversary of VE Day There is plenty going on at the Market Hall and on the Square today and tomorrow vintage vehicles and the chance to ride a vintage ferris wheel Today (Saturday) you can also try your hand at Morse Code thanks to the Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society A Spitfire flypast planned for tomorrow (Sunday) has been cancelled due to strong winds being forecast A vintage ferris wheel is on the Square as part of the event HFM News grants and donations to enable us to continue to provide the service Your donation would be greatly appreciated ALL CONTENT © COPYRIGHT HARBOROUGH FM 2007 – 2024 We are proud to be opening a fantastic new Superstore in partnership with another local Age UK. By working together across county borders Age UK Northamptonshire and Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland will be able to raise vital funds to support local older people. The new Superstore will offer a wide range of pre-loved items including clothing The Superstore will open at 11am on Friday 18th April Age UK Northamptonshire's Chief Executive Chris Duff said "It is a very exciting new development Age UK Northamptonshire is very pleased to be working with Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland. The team has done a fantastic job in getting it ready so quickly presenting it so well and finding great stock for customers. They have done everything they can to make sure the new store will be very popular." The Superstore is easy to find with plenty of parking Virgin Money said the changes would come into force on 1 May the lender has added a duo of five-year fixed rates at 75% loan to value (LTV) with an £895 fee and without a fee The rates come to 4.09% and 4.22% respectively The firm’s two-year fixed rate with an £895 fee at 80% LTV will fall by 0.05% to 4.24% while its fee-saver equivalent has gone down by 0.08% to 4.44% selected shared ownership fixed rates will be cut by up to 0.17% selected two- and five-year fixed rates with a 3% fee will be reduced by up to 0.04% Selected two- and five-year BTL fixed rates with a 1% fee will decrease by up to 0.12% Virgin Money added that selected two- and five-year BTL fixed rates with a £2,195 fee will be reduced by up to 0.15% Two- and five-year BTL fixed rates at 60% LTV with a £995 fee will be cut by up to 0.1% three- and five-year fixed rates at 65% and 75% LTV will fall by up to 0.07% selected two-year BTL rates will decrease by 0.05% and selected five-year BTL rates will fall by 0.01% Atom Bank has lowered rates in its Near Prime residential mortgage range by up to 0.35% The lender attributed the cuts to “recent swap rate movements” and said the changes showed its “determination to provide outstanding value to a segment of borrowers under-served by mainstream mortgage lenders” The cuts come into force effective immediately with two-year fixed rates starting from 5.59% three-year fixed rates beginning from 5.44% and five-year fixed rates priced from 5.24% Atom Bank recently increased its Near Prime LTV to 90% and this is the third time the bank has dropped Near Prime rates in 2025 said: “The financial strain of recent years means brokers are seeing greater numbers of clients who have experienced a temporary payment issue and so fall within the Near Prime category “We are committed to providing these borrowers with access to highly competitive mortgage products which is why we move quickly to reduce rates whenever possible.” He continued: “We have repeatedly broken internal records for Near Prime lending over the last 12 months and have big ambitions for becoming the first-choice lender for brokers when their client has a less-than-spotless credit record criteria enhancements and our market-leading speed of service are helping us to scale up our Near Prime lending to support even more borrowers in the future.” Market Harborough Building Society has lowered residential and BTL fixed rates by up to 0.25% Two-year fixed rates are 0.25% lower and three-year fixed rates are reduced by 0.1% Residential rates for cases up to £2m start from 5.19% for a fixed rate and 5.64% variable for tier one cases up to 75% LTV with a £1,495 fee BTL rates start from 5.45% fixed and 5.9% variable for tier one cases up to 75% LTV including top slicing and lending into retirement as standard Market Harborough Building Society’s head of mortgage distribution said: “Off the back of another strong financial year and our recent criteria enhancements we’re pleased to announce this reduction across our residential and let fixed rates Our promise to be Best for Brokers remains as firm as ever and we let our partners know about this product withdrawal ahead of time.” We take reasonable care to correct errors or omissions on our site as soon as we can after we are made aware of them we do not guarantee that all information is accurate and free of errors and omissions at all times and we do not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss you may suffer as a result of information on this site not being accurate at all times We do not recommend or accept any responsibility for any third party provider’s products advice or opinions provided to you either directly or via their websites We will not be responsible to you if any product or advice you obtain form a third party is not suitable for you or does not meet your requirements Any links to a third party provider’s website on this site are for your convenience only If you contact a third party provider advertised or mentioned on this website any use by you of the third party provider’s website products or information will be subject to the third party provider’s own terms and conditions If you would like to know more about our privacy policy please follow this link https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/privacy-policy/ Market Harborough Building Society has reduced its residential and buy-to-let fixed rates by up to 0.25% Its 2-year fixed rates are now 0.25% lower whilst its 3-year fixed rates have reduced by 0.10% The specialist lender’s residential rates for cases up to £2m now start from 5.19% fixed and 5.64% variable for tier one cases up to 75% loan-to-value (LTV) with a £1,495 product fee The society’s buy-to-let rates now start from 5.45% fixed and 5.90% variable for tier one cases up to 75% LTV including top-slicing and lending into retirement as standard Market Harborough’s head of mortgage distribution “Our promise to be ‘Best for Brokers’ remains as firm as ever and A VE Day Anniversary Party In The Park is to take place in Market Harborough’s Welland Park The free event on Sunday May 11th will include a host of activities for the whole family There will also be a street party picnic for the younger children and rides and amusements for all ages and a Spitfire flypast courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights The HFM-supported event will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and guest of honour will be 100-year-old D-Day veteran Robert Hardy who served in the Royal Navy volunteering as a minesweeper during the war There will also be a collection for the Armed Forces Charity SSAFA during the event and people are encouraged to go in fancy dress to join in with the theme of the day Events are also taking place on Thursday May 8th to mark the anniversary: Events To Mark VE Day Anniversary Free travel on offer from Monday 17 March FoxConnect has launched in Market Harborough and the surrounding district Launched by Leicestershire County Council using government funding passengers will be able to enjoy free travel until Monday 21 April 2025. This is part of the county wide bus network review and sees the Harborough District becoming the second location to benefit from the new FoxConnect service, following the successful launch of two zones in Melton. Aided by the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) grant these services will support goals set out in the council’s BSIP There will be five new zones connecting rural villages in the Harborough district to the town centre Passengers will be able to travel to and from Market Harborough town centre directly from zone 4 to 7. Somerby and Houghton on the Hill (Operated by Premier Taxis) Oadby & Houghton on the Hill (Operated by Premier Taxis) Houghton on the Hill & Uppingham (Operated by Centrebus) Lutterworth & Countesthorpe (Operated by Centrebus) Lutterworth & Kibworth Beauchamp (Operated by Centrebus) there will be interchange points at key town centres including Uppingham Kibworth Beauchamp and a direct connection to Thurmaston Shopping Centre Leicestershire FoxConnect in Market Harborough will operate Monday to Saturday Journeys can be booked up to seven days in advance through the app or the call centre on 0116 216 7756 cabinet member for Highways and Transport said: “On-demand transport options like FoxConnect are being adopted by many councils across the country These flexible services are especially well-suited to rural areas helping to enhance transport provision and improve accessibility across Leicestershire.” “In Melton the FoxConnect service has been a great success completing over 2000 journeys in just the first month We hope that the free travel offer encourages people across the Harborough district to get on board to try the service and make it a regular part of their journeys.” “The introduction of five new zones in Harborough will increase access to public transport and encourage onward travel This will help us reach our goal for a more integrated travel system and support sustainable travel options for all.” The sustainable travel team are delivering events about the new service as follows: Any community groups, organisations or businesses who would benefit from more information can email choosehowyoumove@leics.gov.uk The call centre is open Monday to Friday between 08:30 and 16:30 More information on the service, including full list of villages served can be found on the Market Harborough FoxConnect page. Several events are taking place to mark the historic event Around 7,100 pupils - 99.4% - secure a top three primary school preference Customers bought cars which were found to be faulty Assessments being made after issues with chimney spotted New video released gives snapshot of services provided by council A flag-raising ceremony and Act of Remembrance will take place in Market Harborough to mark the 80th anniversary of the VE Day The flag will be raised on top of the Symington Building during a short ceremony on Church Square at 10am on Thursday (May 8th) A commemorative service of thanksgiving will be held at St Dionysius Church at 7.30pm followed by the Act of Remembrance and wreath-laying ceremony beside the War Memorial on The Square at 8.30pm People are being asked to turnout to support the events and Stewart Harrison chairman of Market Harborough Royal British Legion The WW1 ‘Tommy’ soldier is back beside the War Memorial The war memorial will be lit purple during the ceremony – the colour of the combined forces – and event lights around the Square and Symington Building will be lit in the union flag colours white red and blue all next week for the anniversary Events are also place in other parts of the district on Thursday, including in Kibworth and in Lutterworth, where there will be a beacon lighting event at Coventry Road Recreation Ground Chief Executive of Harborough District Council said: “VE Day is a national time of celebration as we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the six years of terrible conflict and the loss of so many service personnel and civilians we are rightly proud of our Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award and the work we do through our Armed Forces Officer and our Elected Member Armed Forces Champion to support service personnel and they will remain at the forefront of our minds as we take part in the VE Day commemorations “I hope many of our residents will be able to attend the events in our district to mark this important day in our nation’s history.” A VE Day Anniversary Party In The Park is taking place in Market Harborough on Sunday VE Day Anniversary Party In The Park The Range has opened a new superstore in Market Harborough A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening after the homeware retailer moved into the former Homebase premises on Springfield Street People queued up outside ahead of the opening this morning with the first customers through the doors winning prizes The ribbon was cut to officially open the store this morning The Range’s parent company bought a number of Homebase stores and the brand name when the DIY chain went into administration last year and says it has prioritised retaining and transferring staff previously employed by Homebase Alex Simpkin said: “We’re thrilled to have welcomed so many people to our new Market Harborough location “It was amazing to see the community come together to celebrate and we’re proud to offer such a fantastic range of products and prizes to thank them for their support “We’re excited to continue providing great service and value to the Market Harborough community.” The new store features ‘Garden Centres by Homebase’ which is a new concept to help preserve the Homebase brand People queued up to be the first through the doors Xplosive Events is bringing Harborough Summerfest back to the Showground for another unforgettable family festival on Saturday fun-filled day out is designed for all ages and plenty of interactive fun for the whole family This year’s festival will transform Market Harborough into an epic family playground this is the ultimate Summer festival to make unforgettable memories Get your tickets now before it’s too late Click HERE for more details Roadworks on key routes are causing traffic chaos across Market Harborough and Little Bowden There are closures on Welland Park Road and Scotland Road and temporary traffic lights elsewhere including at the Welland Park Road/Northampton Road/Springfield Street junction Drivers say journeys across town that would usually take a few minutes are taking up to 40 minutes and questions are being asked why county council highway bosses allowed all the works to take place at the same time Leader of the ruling Coalition at Harborough District Council told HFM the town is resembling a giant car park: Temporary traffic lights are in place at the Welland Park Road/Northampton Road/Springfield Street junction The temporary traffic lights at the Welland Park Road/Northampton Road/Springfield Street junction have replaced the main signals and failed earlier today President of Market Harborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce is concerned about the impact the congestion is having on traders and visitors to the town: Temporary traffic lights failed e at the Welland Park Road/Northampton Road/Springfield Street junction earlier today A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: “Leicestershire County Council’s network management team have been coordinating with several utility companies who need to undertake planned essential work across the Market Harborough area over the quieter Easter holiday period “Delayed utilities works in Market Harborough in addition to associated malfunctioning temporary traffic lights installed for their work have unfortunately caused higher than normal levels of congestion in the area over the past few days “We would like to reassure residents that our network management team is closely monitoring these issues aiming to minimise disruption as much as possible and working closely with utilities companies “For information on upcoming work, please visit http://one.network where full details can be found on up and coming roadworks.” We rely on fundraising, grants and donations to enable us to continue to provide the service. Your donation would be greatly appreciated. The Conservatives have 15 seats but council leader Nick Rushton lost his seat to Reform the Greens have one and one is Independent This could be the last time Leicestershire goes to the polls to elect county councillors Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDiscussions on the way forwardpublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 2 May17:01 BST 2 MayDeborah Taylor but she will be returning to County Hall without many colleagues The Conservatives lost control of the authority after almost a quarter of a century The council is now under no overall control wrote on X: "Thank you to everyone that voted for me and supported me "Many valued colleagues have been defeated and I am sorry to see them go "Discussions will be held over the next few days as to the way forward for Leicestershire." Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnd what was the turnout?published at 16:56 British Summer Time 2 May16:56 BST 2 MayAdam MossBBC News Turnout overall across Leicestershire was 32.28% - a small decrease on the 33.3% of people who voted in 2021 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTories and Reform share Glenfields Kirkby Muxloe and Leicester Forestspublished at 16:56 British Summer Time 2 May16:56 BST 2 MayThe final seat to declare was Glenfields The Conservatives and Reform split the honour with Nick Chapman elected for the Tories and Kevin Crook for Reform Iain Edward Cameron Smith (Liberal Democrat) - 266 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSileby and The Wolds go greenpublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 2 May16:48 BST 2 MayNaomi Bottomley will be the only Green Party councillor on the county council after winning the Sileby and the Wolds seat from the Conservatives Ian Robert Sharpe (Liberal Democrat) - 104 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform takes Melton Eastpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 2 May16:45 BST 2 MayAndrew Innes has won the seat in Melton East for Reform Andrew Colin Gordon Innes (Reform) - 1,090 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConservatives hold Loughborough South Westpublished at 16:44 British Summer Time 2 May16:44 BST 2 MayThe Conservatives have held Loughborough South West but will have a new councillor in the seat after Richard Bailey was elected to replace Jonathon Morgan Richard George Bailey (Conservative) - 1,144 David Robert Frank Walker (Liberal Democrat) - 253 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConservatives hold Gartreepublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 2 May16:39 BST 2 MayThe Conservatives have held Gartree but Phil King will be the new councillor after being chosen by the party to replace Kevin Feltham James Francis Lindsay (Liberal Democrats) - 360 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLiberal Democrats take Market Harborough Eastpublished at 16:37 British Summer Time 2 May16:37 BST 2 MaySarah Hill has won the seat for Market Harborough East from the Conservatives Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConservatives hold Lutterworthpublished at 16:33 British Summer Time 2 May16:33 BST 2 MayRosita Page has held her seat in Lutterworth but with a reduced majority over the 2,170 she polled in 2021 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform takes Forest and Meashampublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 2 May16:32 BST 2 MayAdam Tilbury will join the 24 other Reform councillors after taking the Forest and Measham seat which was previously held by the Conservatives Andrew Christopher Woodman (Conservative) - 759 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLib Dems win both seats in Oadbypublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 2 May16:28 BST 2 MayOadby is one of two areas on Leicestershire County Council where two seats were up for grabs - and they've both gone to the Liberal Democrats who shared the ward with the Tories after the election in 2021 Dean Adam Gamble has been re-elected and will now be joined on the council by Moin Durranti Dean Adam Gamble (Liberal Democrat) - 2,445 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConservatives hold Market Bosworthpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 2 May16:24 BST 2 MayThe Conservatives have held on to Market Bosworth but will have a new councillor after Joshua Mellen was elected as Bertie Harrison-Rushden's replacement Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform takes Bruntingthorpepublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 2 May16:19 BST 2 MayHarrison Fowler has taken Bruntingthorpe for Reform from the Conservatives Jonathan Francis Bateman (Conservative) - 1,359 Stephen James Crozier Walkley (Liberal Democrats) - 918 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform support has swept across the regionpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 2 May16:18 BST 2 MayPete SaullPolitical correspondent A turquoise tide has swept across the East Midlands Local politicians of all parties expected Reform to do well but few thought the results would be this emphatic Nigel Farage’s party now has big working majorities in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – and is also comfortably the largest party in Leicestershire where at times it’s felt like a wake because only Conservative councillors have made it in to the central results hub but as one local Tory put it to me - “Nigel Farage can’t lead all of these councils from London.” The party still doesn’t have local group leaders and it’s unclear what the process will be a deal may have to be struck with the Conservatives to get things done these new administrations inherit the same problems; increasing demand for social care and special educational needs provision Other parties point out that few of those elected today have any experience as councillors Reform UK will have a record in office to defend Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform takes Melton Westpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 2 May16:13 BST 2 MayThe Melton West seat was previously held by the Conservatives who have been beaten into third place behind Reform candidate Kerry Knight and Independent Sharon Brown Victor Richard Kaufman (Liberal Democrats) - 64 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform wins Shepshedpublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 2 May16:13 BST 2 MayAdam MossBBC News Reform also claimed another win from the Conservatives in Shepshed with Helen Butler taking the seat previously held by Christine Radford Katy Brookes-Duncan (Liberal Democrat) - 276 Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLib Dems take Enderby and Lubbesthorpepublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 2 May16:12 BST 2 MayNick Holt has won Enderby and Lubbesthorpe for the Lib Dems from the Conservatives Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform take a big slice of the vote sharepublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 2 May16:11 BST 2 MayMatt BunnBBC News It has been a good day for Reform candidates across the East Midlands where the party has taken control of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils Leicestershire has fallen into no overall control as Reform fell three seats shy of the magic 28 mark Confirmation of the results are continuing to filter through Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingReform wins Ashby de la Zouchpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 2 May16:03 BST 2 MayAdam MossBBC News who was a Conservative member for Ibstock and Appleby until he defected to Reform a few months before the election has now been elected to the Ashby de la Zouch seat Raymond Leslie Morris (Conservative) - 665 The Conservatives have lost control of Leicestershire County Council after 24 years The authority is now in no overall control although Reform UK just fell short of securing the numbers needed to form a majority taking the Broughton Astley and Bruntingthorpe divisions off the Conservatives The Tories held their seats in Lutterworth The Liberal Democrats gained the Market Harborough East division from the Conservatives and held Laude The overall results for the Leicestershire County Council election were: Election Special: Winners Speak To HFM Sandra – Labour and Co-operative Party – 206 Stephen James Crozier – Liberal Democrat – 918 Jack Thomas – The Conservative Party – 1,017 Barry – The Conservative Party Candidate – 1,199 David John – The Conservative Party – 1,008 The Range will open a new superstore in Market Harborough in May The homeware chain will move into the former Homebase store off Springfield Street which closed its doors for final time on Saturday The Range will open in the former Homebase store in May Homebase staff will be taken on by The Range owner CDS Superstores which bought a number of Homebase stores and the DIY retailer’s brand when it collapsed into administration last year The new store will open on May 2nd and also feature ‘Garden Centres by Homebase’ Signs promoting the opening has gone up outside the former Homebase store A charity is to open its first out-of-town superstore in Market Harborough Age UK Leicester Shire and Rutland is moving into new premises fronting Rockingham Road on Welland Business Park The new superstore will open later this month which will sell everything from furniture to clothing will open on April 18th and be run in partnership with Age UK Northamptonshire It will be in addition to the charity’s two shops in Market Harborough town centre and support its work locally Chief Executive of Age UK Leicester Shire and Rutland A woman was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at a house in Market Harborough Firefighters were called to the blaze in the kitchen of the property in Eady Drive A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police told HFM: “We received a call from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service at 4.03pm on Tuesday (8 April) following a fire at a property in Eady Drive and enquiries suggest that it was caused deliberately “A 64-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life “She has since been released on police bail as our investigation continues.” Three fire crews were called to the blaze at 3.50pm and a spokesperson for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Market Harborough crew attended along with two appliances from Northamptonshire and two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet were in use and the incident was handed over to the police.” street drama and children’s activities will feature at a two-hour outdoor event in Market Harborough on Good Friday ‘Easter Live On The Square’ is being organised by Churches Together In Harborough and will run from 11am The event should have taken place last year Rev Christopher Brown from Market Harborough Baptist Church is helping to arrange the event: Drivers are being warned one of the main through-routes in Market Harborough will be closed for three days from tomorrow Welland Park Road will be shut outside Welland Park Academy so Severn Trent Water can install new pipes The work on the A4034 has been timed to coincide with the Easter school holidays The closure is set to come into force at 8am tomorrow (Tuesday) at be in force until 5pm on Thursday with the diversion route via the town centre (Farndon Road A Severn Trent spokesperson told HFM: “We’ll be putting in a new supply pipe for a customer and due to the location of the works will need to complete this job under a road closure to keep everyone safe “We’ll get everything completed and back to normal as quickly as we can.” There is also additional disruption for drivers as telecom work began today at the Welland Park Road/Springfield Street/Northampton Road junction Temporary traffic lights have replaced the normal traffic signals and will be in place until Thursday before returning from April 22nd – April 25th Eagle-eyed drivers have spotted a mistake on the sign warning of the works: Spelling Blunder On Roadworks Sign Police are appealing for witnesses after drivers fled the scene of a crash in Market Harborough yesterday Two cars were involved in the collision on Burnmill Road just after 5.15pm and one of them – a Peugeot 206 – overturned onto its roof Officers say the driver and occupants have not been traced and the driver of the other car involved drove off before emergency services arrived The crash happened between Doddridge Road and Hammond Way and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service also attended the scene Leicestershire Police say enquiries into the collision are on-going and witnesses or anyone with information should call 101 The road was closed for over three hours while the incident was dealt with and the car recovered Santander is to close its bank in Market Harborough The branch on the High Street will shut on July 1st because an increasing number of customers are using mobile and internet banking instead of visiting in-person It is one of 95 branches being closed by the bank nationwide Santander says only 26 of its personal customers visited the branch 3 times or more between July and December 2024 Santander in Market Harborough will close in July said: “Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers we believe that the introduction of our new Community Bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and Work Cafés alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required.” When it shuts Santander will be the fifth bank to close in Market Harborough in two years with Lloyds shutting its branch later this month leaving only Nationwide and Market Harborough Building Society open a Banking Hub is now open in the Symington Building offering face-to-face service to customers from different banks The facility is operating from the HQ of Harborough District Council on a temporary basis while a search continues for a permanent premises in the town centre A warning has been issued to drivers after fraudsters targeted car parks in Market Harborough They attached fake QR codes to pay and display machines which if scanned on mobile phones takes users to a fake website which requests card payment details The codes were placed below the ‘Pay By Phone’ information to make them appear genuine The fake QR codes were attached to payment machines Harborough District Council is stressing it not use QR codes as a method of payment and a spokesperson added: “Our officers are in the process of removing the stickers and will check other pay and display locations “We do not use QR codes at any of our car parks so people using a council parking space should never expect to pay by this method “The safest way to pay is through the PayByPhone app which is on offer at all council car parks and pay and display locations “The PayByPhone app can be downloaded from the Google Play and Apple App Store.” Market Harborough has been named one of the best places to live in the country for the third year running The town is one of just 7 in the midlands and 72 nationwide to feature in the Sunday Times Best Places To Live Guide Judges who visited said: “Set in a pretty countryside known as the Notswolds — like the Cotswolds without the pretentiousness or the price tag – Market Harborough is hard to beat well-connected by road and rail; well-educated thanks to its roster of good schools; and well-appointed with a fine selection of independent shops upmarket chains and a market that has been going strong for more than 800 years Market Harborough Town Centre Pic: Andy Carpenter The Sunday Times’ expert judges visited all the locations featured in the guide and assessed factors from schools to transport as well as access to green spaces and the health of the high street Cllr Jo Asher is cabinet member for culture, leisure, economy and tourism at Harborough District Council is delighted Market Harborough is featured in the guide again: The judges praised initiatives such as the Eco Village with its community fridge and garden and repair café and highlighted cultural events like Arts Fresco and the Nevill Holt opera festival saying: “The indoor market is open six days a week and includes everything from greengrocers to a zero-waste refill store and was voted Best Small Indoor Market in the Great British Market Awards 2025 “There’s also a farmers’ market and an artisan market each month.” The Nevill Arms pub in Medbourne is mentioned by the judges and Ellie Uppal from owners the Three Goats group said: “One of Harborough’s greatest assets is the Welland Valley countryside that surrounds it “Anyone coming to the area for the first time is struck by how picturesque it is – and Medbourne has always been a must-see spot for visitors to Market Harborough “This part of the world is really putting itself on the map as a commercial centre but also culturally through events such as the annual Nevill Holt Festival “It’s also establishing itself as a popular staycation destination and we get visitors travelling from across Britain to stay in our boutique country hotel and pub.” CloseFootage captured on a riverbank in Leicestershire has shown two otter cubs playing with their mother Amateur photographer Don West filmed the elusive animals by the River Welland near Market Harborough He said he had been recording at the same spot for five years but never got more than one otter on film at the same time then go and change the battery and the card - you never know what you'll have," he said "I had seen the mother before but not the cubs I just thought it was amazing," he added "It was great to see them out playing and looking for food as a family." 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What's in the US-Ukraine resources deal 1:23 Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 00:01:18Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election A new Aldi supermarket in Market Harborough is on-target to open in the autumn Work to build the £5m store on Rockingham Road is progressing at pace with the shell of the building now in place The discount retailer is spending £5m on the development and will re-locate to the larger premises from its current base on Springfield Street Around 15 new jobs will be created when the new store opens on the former Glenmere Timber site Aldi previously said: “The development of our new Market Harborough store is a multi-million investment in the town and will create jobs in the construction phase as well as additional permanent jobs in the new store “Existing colleagues at our Market Harborough store will transfer to the new store on opening.” Marks and Spencer has ruled out opening in the current Aldi premises when it becomes vacant The retailer placed the town on a ‘wish list’ of locations where it would like to open a food store but says there are no plans to take on the Springfield Street site President of Market Harborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce is confident another retailer Marks and Spencer has ruled out opening in the Aldi premises in Market Harborough when it becomes vacant later this year The retailer has placed the town on a ‘wish list’ of locations where it would like to open a new food store but has told HFM it has no plans to take on the site on Springfield Street The Aldi store in Market Harborough will become vacant later this year The premises will be vacated in the autumn when Aldi moves to a new larger store currently being constructed on Rockingham Road M&S had previously said it would consider taking on an existing shop unit or look at a new-build store in Market Harborough if a suitable premises or site could be found President of Market Harborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce told HFM he is confident another retailer will want to take-on the Aldi store: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The death of a man whose body was found in a car on fire in Market Harborough is not being treated as suspicious Emergency services were called to a car park on King’s Road near the town centre yesterday morning A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police told HFM: “Just before 6.45am yesterday (Sunday 9 March) police were called following a report a car was alight in King’s Road “Officers attended with colleagues from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service “The body of a man was found inside the vehicle “His death is not believed to be suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.” Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org for more information Market Harborough-based business park expanding to support local business we are proud to be able to support local businesses to expand where we’re able to “We’re really excited to extend this popular business park and today was a great chance to mark the progress Britcon have made in just three months “Once completed the expansion of Airfield Business Park will boost the local economy and help to keep businesses in the county.” A new mural reflecting the ever-evolving world of work in Market Harborough has gone on display at Harborough Museum which has been co-curated by local residents and Leicestershire County Council’s Culture Leicestershire team was inspired by the classic Ladybird Book series ‘People at Work,’ which was released sixty years ago by the then Loughborough-based publisher The project is part of our commitment to commission Creative Practitioners to use their skills and experience to bring our museums and libraries to life the ‘Harborough at Work’ exhibition looked at how occupations and attitudes have changed since the People at Work series was published Funded by Arts Council England as part of our National Portfolio (NPO) organisation status artists Amy Nicholson and Suzy Gunn of HandMade Theatre have led the work to showcase the diverse and varied way in which people earn a living across the Harborough district. the mural looks at uniformed jobs such as the police and postal services to unpaid volunteering work and working from home to highlight the ever-changing flexibility of some industries There’s also a highlight of the 800-year-old market alongside the independent businesses which makes Harborough a culturally rich and diverse area "These amazing murals are a great reflection of both our past and present highlighting the evolving nature of today’s workplaces “This is a chance to bring together our history and local people’s experiences I’d encourage you to visit the museum and see it for yourself.” who is one of the participants who features in the mural said “I’m so excited to see myself on the mural The mural’s unique background is a collage from local magazines symbolising the important role history plays in shaping the present with local people and local community groups to make it a truly local Harborough mural The art murals are on display now at Harborough Museum More information can be found by visiting, the Harborough Museum website or the Culture Leicestershire website The Sunday TimesThe pretty Welland Valley has a gently meandering river vast views over open fields and historic buildings Some call this area the Notswolds — ie the Cotswolds without the pretentiousness or the price tag its half-timbered Old Grammar School built on stilts in 1614; well connected by road and rail; well educated thanks to its timetable of good schools; and well appointed One of the latest initiatives is the Eco Village This is a not-for-profit collection of plastic-free retailers selling organic and artisan products Two suspected drug dealers were arrested after a driver crashed following a high-speed police pursuit through Market Harborough on Saturday The occupants of the Range Rover fled on foot when it careered into a ditch near Marston Trussell but were soon caught thanks to Police Dog Bryn from Northants Police who tracked them through fields The driver had initially failed to stop for officers in Market Harborough at 1.20pm PD Bryn tracked the men through fields after the car crashed near Marston Trussell Sgt Charlie Davies said: “The Neighbour Priority Team conducted a search of the area with help from Northants officers PD Bryn and the local farming community who kindly provided us with sightings of the males phones and other items were located inside the vehicle and nearby which was tracked by the excellent PD Bryn both males were arrested for failing to stop no insurance and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.” The men aged 24 and 26 have been been released on bail pending further enquiries Residents in rural areas of Harborough and Charnwood are set to benefit from an improved bus network March 17 more than 20 rural villages that did not have public transport will now be served Nine existing services have also been updated and extended to provide ongoing access to public transport for residents an on-demand bus service known as FoxConnect will also be introduced Villages served include Tilton on the Hill The improved bus service network has been introduced by Leicestershire County Council and is partly funded by the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) which is helping the council’s review of supported bus services across Leicestershire The next focus will be Charnwood and Harborough town services which are expected to be reviewed in June 2025. cabinet member for Highways and Transport said: “We have listened to people’s feedback and thanks to government cash we have been able to work with operators to enhance bus services “We have focused on individual community needs Launching new options like FoxConnect will increase bus provision and strengthen the existing bus network “Buses and public transport are a cheaper and greener option to get around Adding Sunday services and evening routes means that people will have more journey choice making buses and FoxConnect the preferred method of travel.” “These updates and changes aim to boost public transport provision and focus on giving our communities great travel options.” Some services will benefit from trials also being funded by the BSIP grant to measure the impact of improvements such as Sunday services or additional evening routes financially supported by Leicestershire County Council aim to improve travel connections and simplify routes Regular updates, including timetables and information on changes will be available on the choose how you move website.