More Land Set To Join Re-Wilding Project

An ambitious re-wilding project near Market Harborough – which will include the creation of a new country park – could be expanded to cover more land.

Plans for the scheme were announced earlier this year when Harborough District Council purchased over 130 acres of land either side of the A6 bypass near Great Bowden, for nearly £2m.

Now, landowners from adjacent plots have expressed interest in joining the project, meaning it has the potential to extend across 500 acres.

The scheme, which will restore the nature-depleted area and encourage wildlife, will protect the green space for future generations and is tipped to become a site of national significance.

A recent meeting between Harborough District Council and national public body, Natural England, was a catalyst for a number of landowners coming forward to join the council in its ambition to create, at scale, a publicly accessible open space where nature recovery and rewilding are prioritised.

Some of the land that will form the project

Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council said: “It was a really positive meeting and site tour with Natural England who have offered their full support to the council and Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust in helping us to progress our plans.

“A number of actions were agreed around potential funding sources and alignment to national priorities and initiatives. Everyone we have met has been blown away by our investment and our ambition – words like unprecedented, inspirational and excellent place leadership are being used.

“We also have a long list of volunteers who have come forward and we hope to be creating opportunities for their involvement soon. Our next step is to appoint a project officer through the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust who will be based in our community engagement team and start to drive an initial set of key actions.”

Phil Hukin, Natural England Senior Manager – Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “Natural England is delighted to support Harborough District Council and its partners in this ambitious initiative, which aligns with our commitment to build partnerships for nature’s recovery and improve access to nature-rich spaces for local communities.

“We look forward to seeing this project develop into a significant site for both wildlife and people.”

Groups and people who are interested in getting involved in the Market Harborough Rewilding Project can email: rewildingproject@harborough.gov.uk