Management of open spaces on developments set to be reviewed

Currently some communities are not being provided with satisfactory adoption or ongoing maintenance of open spaces on developments. This has created issues for some residents which are difficult to resolve through enforcement or legal action. 

Under new arrangements to be explored by Harborough District Council, it is expected that the parish or town council would fund open space management from a commuted sum paid by the developer, potentially for 15 years on transfer of the open space. 

The parish or town council concerned would, in time, build a charge for continued onward maintenance into the parish precept, which would thereby pay for onward maintenance through council tax. 

A new policy could see the district council stepping in if a parish or town council did not want to adopt the areas and in Market Harborough, where there is no town council. 

The decision to review the council’s current policy on Open Spaces was agreed at a Cabinet meeting on Monday 15 July 2024. 

Cllr Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: “The current situation concerning the management of open spaces on developments can be very frustrating for residents, officers and elected members as time is spent trying to resolve issues, often without any mechanism to enforce landscape plans or landscape management plans.  

“The council will now conduct a full review to establish the extent to which the maintenance of open spaces, that are currently being maintained by management companies, could be transferred to parish councils or the council in the future. We hope that a revision of the current policy will bring great improvements to the effectiveness and value for money of management of new open spaces across the district, including those on new housing developments.”   

Harborough District Council does not currently adopt new open space from development sites, except in specific circumstances. Since 2013 new public open space in Harborough District has predominantly been adopted and managed by Management Companies (ManCos) appointed by developers. 

The report to Cabinet on 15 July 2024 can be viewed at: https://cmis.harborough.gov.uk/cmis5/Meetings.aspx