Monthly News from Neil O’Brien MP

December 2024

Hello,

Welcome to the December edition of my e-newsletter.

Campaign update: Stop the new town between Oadby and Great Glen

Since my last e-newsletter, it has been confirmed that Stretton Hall, between Oadby and Great Glen, is being considered as a site for a new town. In Oadby and Wigston’s draft Local Plan, published last week, both Oadby & Wigston and Harborough Councils are pushing a proposal to develop up to 4,000 homes on the site.

I recently held a public meeting with neighbouring MP Alicia Kearns to oppose the plans. Over 200 people came to learn about what the government and local councils have planned for local house building. The meeting was recorded for those who couldn’t make it, and you can watch it here.

The next major milestone will be the publication of the draft Harborough Local Plan on 19th December. There will be a special meeting of the Council’s cabinet on 6th January 2025, at 6.30 pm at the Symington Building in Market Harborough. They are expected to approve the Plan, which will then go to a meeting of the full council on 16th January at 6.30 pm, also at the Symington Building. Recent media coverage has stated that the Cabinet hopes that councillors will simply ‘rubber stamp’ the draft Local Plan. This is a worrying proposition that something so important will be simply rubber-stamped by councillors.

Please do consider attending these meetings. There is a public gallery where members of the public can watch.

Residents have also set up a campaign website, which you can visit here.

Save our bins

In a recently released document, Oadby & Wigston Council have said that they are going to reduce the number of litter bins in the borough by a quarter. The council owns and empties just over 500 bins currently, but they are about to remove 146 of them to try to save money. They have also said that they are going to empty the bins less often, which will mean more litter and overflowing bins. Residents frequently contact me about overflowing bins already.

We already have big problems with the state of public spaces locally. Earlier this year the Council decided it was no longer going to cut the grass in several areas, and domestic wheelie bins are now only being emptied once every two weeks. Removing litter bins and emptying them less often will only make the problem worse, and make the borough look scruffy.

I am launching a petition to get the Council to rethink this bad idea.

Supporting farmers

I met local farmers at the recent farmers’ protest in Westminster. The Budget has hammered them—not just with the tax on family farms but also massive taxes on things like fertiliser that their competitors in other countries don't face. Farm incomes are sharply down—a terrible time for the Budget to hit them with new taxes. I am arranging a follow-up meeting for farmers who couldn’t make it on the day.

Update on the new Harborough Banking Hub

I had a good meeting with the team who are setting up the new Banking Hub in Market Harborough recently, after my successful campaign to bring one to the town.

It will open in a temporary location in January, before opening a permanent branch next autumn.

Monday to Friday 9-5 you'll be able to walk in and deposit cash, coins or cheques or take out cash, and do all the basics.

At least five major banks will have a member of staff there one day a week on a regular basis and a proper private office space - so you can do things like mortgages, savings accounts, ISAs etc with your bank.

They look just like a normal bank. I know lots of people will find it useful to use the bank in person. And I will continue to support businesses keeping cash as an option, as I know many people prefer it.

Opening of the new Kidney Dialysis Unit in South Wigston

It was really nice to be at the official opening of the new Kidney Dialysis Unit in South Wigston last month. It is a lovely new modern facility designed together with the users of the service. It is a big upgrade on the old facilities at the General, which opened in 1974.

It's also a great example of something we need more of - getting services out of the main hospitals and into the community.

LRI in particular is such a heavily loaded site, and has been for decades - so the more pressure we can take off by moving services out the better. I will continue to press for more to be done in Oadby and Market Harborough too.

Recent flooding

I was out recently meeting people affected by flooding. I am in touch with the County Council as the flood authority to start a conversation about what we can do to stop this happening again. If I can help with any issues, insurance etc or compensation please get in touch.

Visit to St Joseph’s

Lovely to be at St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Market Harborough for the first event in their newly rebuilt / upgraded hall. The school has some of the best academic results in the country, but also very nice children and excellent cake too!

Keep in touch

As ever, you can follow the work I am doing on my Facebook page.  Please do consider forwarding this to anyone living locally, and if I can be of any help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

Finally, I would like to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With best wishes,

Neil O’Brien

Member of Parliament for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston