Our Vision
Working with our communities, we will build a future for the people of Harborough district that gives them the best life chances and opportunities through:
- Community leadership to create a sense of pride in our place
- Promoting health and wellbeing and encouraging healthy life choices
- Creating a sustainable environment to protect future generations
- Supporting businesses and residents to deliver a prosperous local economy
Why Harborough District?
Despite a challenging economic climate nationally in recent years, our business community has shown resilience and our high streets remain vibrant; thanks in part to a focussed and joined-up approach.
A general assessment of data for the Harborough economy shows that the headline characteristics and performance of Harborough's economy is largely positive. Harborough is a rural Leicestershire district with a population of 98,300 and with 5,350 enterprises in the area. It has amongst the highest economic activity rates, lowest unemployment, skills profile and highest resident average earnings of the LLEP area – all of which are above national averages.
We host a diverse mix of commercial space from headquarter locations for multinational companies right through to incubation space for promising startup companies and SME's at the Harborough Innovation Centre.
Background
In recent years, our local economy has faced significant challenges, and the council has been dedicated to supporting businesses and residents during this time. We remain committed to driving economic recovery and future growth. A thriving economy will attract new businesses, generating more jobs and opportunities for our residents while encouraging further investment across the district. The council is focused on enhancing town centers and local business hubs, transforming them into high-quality environments that support both living and working, while also retaining local talent, improving social mobility, and strengthening community ties. By creating local opportunities, supporting businesses, and investing in key areas, we aim to develop vibrant places that attract and retain individuals who seek to invest, live, work, and visit our district.
Location
Harborough is regularly mentioned as a top place to live in regional and national surveys and this shows it has growing reputation as a great place to live and work.
The Harborough District is situated in rural south Leicestershire and is 90 mins by road from London and 1 hr from London by train. The main settlements are Market Harborough, Lutterworth and Broughton Astley. The district is characterised by high-quality countryside and attractive settlements, many of which have retained much of their historic character.
Harborough District is also in reachable distance to four airports:
- East Midlands - 30 Miles
- Nottingham Airport - 37 Miles
- Birmingham Airport - 40 Miles
- Luton Airport - 57 Miles
What Our Entrepreneurs Say
Here's what our local entrepreneurs have to say about Harborough and its advantages for businesses.
It's a growing town in population which means there is a great pool of highly skilled and employable people in the area that may not want to commute to London or the nearby cities.
Eloise Shelton, Marketing Director, Vanilla Recruitment
We find that the community wants to support local business and this provides lots of opportunities to grow and be successful in the area. Market Harborough is the perfect fit for us because it is growing as a community and commercially.
Natalie Biggin
Market Harborough is where it all started for Joules. I grew up here, our first shop was here, and over the last three decades, we've grown here from a small business employing four people to a thriving, multi-channel business with more than 120 UK stores and a fast-growing international presence.
