HDC Leader Defends Rewilding Harborough Project

The leader of Harborough District Council has defended the finances and governance of its flagship Rewilding Harborough project, saying claims the authority spent £3.3m on the scheme are “completely wrong.”

Cllr Phil Knowles says the figures have been repeatedly misrepresented by others and that detailed costs have already been shared.

According to the leader, the £1.9m purchase of Tin House Farm near Great Bowden — covering three land parcels — was made primarily to ensure the authority had a long-term depot option for its Environmental Services contract, with the rewilding opportunity described as an added benefit.

The land purchased by HDC

A separate £1.3m purchase secured part of the existing depot site for long-term operational security. The council stresses this second sum is unrelated to the rewilding project.

The leader says the investment is expected to generate annual savings of around £400,000 on the waste contract alone, describing the decision as “a win–win scenario” that will pay for itself within a few years while enabling a project now being talked about “as of national significance.”

Addressing concerns about governance, he says the rewilding scheme is a long-term legacy project that “should transcend politics,” with structures being developed alongside partners and stakeholders.

Cllr Knowles spoke to HFM:

The council will officially mark 2025 as the year the project launched with the planting of an oak tree on 19 December.