Kibworth poll: The vote for
Cllr Chris Holyoak
OVER the past year there has been the opportunity for communities, via a Governance Consultation, to appraise parish boundaries and how their parish is run, writes district councillor Chris Holyoak.
Many people in the district will be aware of Kibworth, but unaware that it comprises two parishes, Beauchamp and Harcourt.
Historically these were two separate villages, but over the past 30 years, four large housing developments have seen the village coalesce to such an extent, that even with the main line railway and A6 seeming to form a natural separation, many residents only realise they are in Beauchamp or Harcourt when the annual council tax bill drops through the letterbox.
January 10 will give Kibworthians a clear steer on whether they feel there is merit in having a single council, to better address the problems and issues surrounding the community.
There are instances of neighbouring houses or houses on either side of the road being in different parishes – where is the logic in that?
The poll’s outcome has to be appraised by the Governance Committee at Harborough Council. If successful, a new single council will not become operational until after the local election in 2015.
This would enable more representation from Harcourt residents on the bigger picture, as all amenities and infrastructure are in Beauchamp.
A few Harcourt diehards fear a loss of their identity – the boundaries of the two parishes would remain. I refer to the unprecedented historical legacy Michael Woods gave to Kibworth and Smeeton in his TV series A Story of England.
It encompasses the evolution of a community throughout history – what is proposed now, is another bit of logical evolution.
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Weather for Harborough
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
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