New Friendship Park Opens

A new ‘friendship park’ has been officially opened in Market Harborough town centre.

Harborough District Council spent £45,000 transforming an overgrown area on Northampton Road, which had become a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

L-R Cllr Buddy Anderson, Vice Chairman of Harborough District Council, Cllr Peter James, Chairman, Cllr Darren Woodiwiss, Cabinet lead for Environmental and Climate Change and Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader, opening the Friendship Park

Volunteers helped plant trees and thousands of bulbs at the new green space adjacent to the Market Hall, which includes benches.

The park has been designed with sustainability, biodiversity and the environment in mind, with heritage apple trees along with pear, plum and cherry trees, plus hazel and walnut trees, and soft fruit bushes.

The new Friendship Park in Market Harborough

The council worked with a group of residents who overlook the park in planning the project and they will assist with ongoing maintenance in the new green space.

How the site on Northampton Road used to look

Cllr Peter James, chairman of the council, spoke to HFM after cutting the ribbon to declare the new green space open this morning:

Cllr Peter James, Chairman of Harborough District Council, speaking at the opening of the Friendship Park

The park supports wildlife through wildflowers, hedges that produce berries, bat and bird boxes and there are future plans for a steel sculpture.

The transformation was funded using capital funding, Section 106 money from developers and UK Shared Prosperity Funding provided by government.

These people were among the first to enter the new park and spoke to HFM: