Coronavirus – Monday’s Local Updates

Construction work is to re-start this week on two major new homes sites in the Harborough District.

David Wilson Homes is launching what it calls a ‘controlled and phased re-start’ at its Fleckney Fields site in Fleckney and the one on Fleckney Road in Kibworth.

Work was halted at both along with many others locally in March, when the coronavirus lockdown was imposed.

The Prime Minister announced yesterday construction is one sector he wants to see get back up and running, if the work can be carried out safely with social-distancing measures.

David Thomas, chief executive officer for parent company Barratt Developments, said: “Since we closed our sites, we’ve been carefully working through the steps needed to reopen sites while protecting employees.

“Our first priority remains the health and safety of our employees, contractors and customers.”

 

More small businesses across Harborough are to get financial support to help them deal with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Although around 1,500 have already been given a share of £19m, some have not qualified for the government schemes so far.

Now an additional £617m will be made available across the country to allow more to benefit.

Harborough Council, which has been distributing the money, is waiting to hear how much it will be allocated and which businesses will be eligible.

Council Leader Phil King spoke to Hfm:

The authority was named last month as one of the best performing in the country in terms of making the payments quickly.

Musicians from Harborough’s Anglican churches are using the power of technology to feature in weekly on-line services.

Those who play drums, guitar, flute, piano and even the accordion are recording their part of songs in their own homes, as well as singers, before it’s all mixed together by Peter Crowe and used every Sunday during the services that are being held via Zoom.

The Prime Minister has sent a thank you note to a Market Harborough youngster who sent him get well pictures when he was fighting Coronavirus.

Sophia Blyth, aged 5, has also been invited to meet Boris Johnson once the lock-down is over, after Harborough MP Neil O’Brien made contact with her family.

The youngster’s pictures were posted on the PM’s social media accounts last weekend and since then have been shared thousands of times and featured in a national newspaper yesterday.

Sophia, a pupil at the Market Harborough C of E Academy told Hfm she wanted to cheer him up when he was in hospital:

Sophia’s Dad, Wayne told Hfm he and her Mum, Oriana, are very proud of their daughter:

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has invited Sophia and her family to visit to the House of Parliament and meet the Prime Minister: