Sustainable Harborough Project State of the Town Report

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State of the Town Report

Sustainable Harborough – State of the Town Report

Beginning

Sustainable Harborough is a lottery funded Communities Living Sustainably project aiming to show how community based projects can make life better in a market town. Part of our journey involves mapping and agreeing how good the quality of life in Market Harborough is at the moment. We have done this with Rose Regeneration an East Midlands business with a specialist knowledge of what makes towns tick.

Over the last 6 months we have been running an initiative called Measuring what Matters. We ran two early evening workshops to kick the process off. They were on 24th March and 14th of April 2015 and involved representatives of key organisations in the town. At these meetings we prioritised the nationally available information on quality of life issues, picking out those things, which are most important to the town. We identified the special things about the town that we need to measure ourselves. These local measures are about issues like how good people think its shops are, whether they think it is a “happening place” in terms of their free time and the things that affect its “carbon footprint”. Finally we identified a list of other towns across England that are most like Market Harborough. This enabled us to compare Market Harborough with other places (benchmark towns) like it and think about the factors that make them more or less successful.

We followed these meetings up with a Market Harborough town survey. People filled the survey in on line and we also spent time in Market Harborough working through it on the streets with people at the Market Harborough Carnival on 13 June 2015. In total we generated 273 responses. We also collected information on people’s views through focused activities working with a representative group of young people and collecting opinions at the I Love Market Harborough Festival on 27 June 2015.

This report sets out what we found and looks at what might be done next. It has the following sections:

Our Town – a simple overview of Market Harborough as a place – pages 4-8 What Others Say – a summary of the comments concerning Market Harborough in two quality of life indices published by the Sunday Times and Halifax Property Services – pages 9-14

What the Stats Tell Us – an explanation of how the information we chose to judge the sustainability of the town was identified and collected and what it tells us about the sustainability of Market Harborough compared to other places – pages 15-22 What the People Tell Us – an explanation of the findings from the survey and what that tells us and how its results agree or depart from the stats we collected - pages 23-44 So What? – a discussion of what might be done to respond to the finding of the research – pages 45-51 Sorted! – suggestions for action planning and monitoring – page 52 We also included an Appendix about Social Return on Investment at page 53 and we have listed our main sources of data and information on page 54

Our Town

Market Harborough is a quintessential English market town. It has a population of 22,911 according to the 2011 census. It is located in the south east corner of Leicestershire where the county meets Northamptonshire. The town is relatively well connected being proximate to the A14 trunk road and on the Midland Mainline railway line to London. The town sits on the river Welland and is also a key settlement on the Grand Union canal. The town has a high proportion of independent retailers on its High Street, a well defined heritage core, with some iconic local buildings including the 17th century old Grammar School and a successful indoor market.

Market Harborough has a far higher proportion of home owners than the national average and the benchmark group of other towns and a significantly higher proportion of residents over 65 than the national average (see descriptive measures at the bottom of the table on page 18).

Our analysis of rateable values provides some very useful benchmarks for the nature of Market Harborough. We have compared the results for the town against the other towns benchmarked in the next section of the report.

All non-domestic property has a rateable value unless it is specifically exempt from rates. The rateable value is fixed in most cases by an independent valuation officer of the Valuation Office Agency. From 1st April 2010 the rateable value of a property represents its annual open market rental value at 1st April 2008. A general revaluation of all non-domestic properties is normally carried out every five years. The last revaluation was in 2010, but the date of the next revaluation has been changed from 2015 to 2017.

The actual amount of business rates payable by an occupier is based on the rateable value multiplied by a multiplier fixed each year by the government. For 2014/2015 the multiplier has been set at 48.2p. If, for example, the rateable value of a building were £10,000, the calculation for that year would be £10,000 x 0.482 = £4,820, so this is the amount that would be payable.

The findings are as follows:

SUMMARY - PROPORTION OF RV OF TOP 50 PREMISES FOR DIFFERENT USES

Quarries Pubs, Schools Health Sewage & Total RV of Variance Factories & Hotels & & & Treatment Concrete Top 50 from Town Population Retail Warehouses Offices Restaurants Colleges Fitness Works Works Other Premises Average

Market Harborough 22,911 40.5% 19.4% 9.6% 7.7% 5.4% 6.4% 2.4% 0.0% 8.5% 8,555,500 (3,648,314)

Stowmarket 19,280 27.3% 50.6% 1.5% 0.7% 8.3% 6.6% 2.2% 0.9% 1.9% 11,163,500 (1,040,314)

Northallerton 16,832 27.9% 22.1% 15.1% 1.5% 2.4% 10.7% 2.3% 0.0% 18.2% 14,247,000 2,043,186

Stratford on Avon 27,830 48.9% 5.2% 22.0% 13.1% 5.6% 2.9% 0.0% 0.0% 2.2% 21,742,000 9,538,186

Lewes 17,297 25.1% 9.4% 23.7% 1.8% 15.8% 3.3% 0.0% 0.0% 20.9% 11,330,000 (873,814)

Calne 17,274 13.9% 40.3% 0.0% 3.8% 13.2% 2.0% 2.7% 8.6% 15.4% 6,255,451 (5,948,363)

Stamford 19,701 36.3% 9.8% 0.6% 5.4% 13.0% 3.7% 2.4% 25.8% 3.0% 12,710,000 506,186

Melton Mowbray 27,158 20.1% 44.0% 6.6% 2.4% 10.4% 8.3% 2.7% 0.8% 4.6% 16,328,000 4,124,186

Ely 19,090 34.8% 26.5% 10.8% 2.6% 13.4% 5.1% 0.9% 3.8% 2.1% 12,380,000 176,186

Wantage 18,505 39.2% 36.6% 7.0% 2.5% 5.5% 3.6% 2.5% 0.0% 3.1% 8,561,000 (3,642,814)

Frome 26,203 40.8% 15.1% 2.1% 8.2% 5.5% 8.8% 2.5% 13.6% 3.4% 10,969,500 (1,234,314) SUMMARY - Superstores present in each town – not including small convenience store or “metro” versions of supermarkets

Town Population Waitrose Sainsburys Tesco Morrisons Asda Lidl Aldi

Market Harborough 22,911

Stowmarket 19,280

Northallerton 16,832

Stratford on Avon 27,830

Lewes 17,297

Calne 17,274

Stamford 19,701

Melton Mowbray 27,158

Ely 19,090

Wantage 18,505

Frome 26,203

Note: There is an Aldi in Stowmarket on the VOA's list of RVs, but not according to Aldi' s own website.

We have set out a series of pie charts below showing how the distribution of commercial premises compares to Market Harborough (the largest pie chart at the bottom right of the page) – the location of each town in the above table is as follows:

Stowmarket - Suffolk Northallerton –North Yorkshire Stratford on Avon - Warwickshire Lewes – East Sussex Calne - Wiltshire Stamford - Lincolnshire Melton Mowbray - Leicestershire Ely - Cambridgeshire Wantage - Oxfordshire Frome - Somerset

Stowmarket Northallerton Stamford Melton Mowbray

Ely Wantage Frome Stratford on Avon

Retail

Factories & Warehouses

Offices

Pubs, Hotels & Restaurants Lewes Calne Schools & Colleges

Health & Fitness

Sewage Treatment Works

Quarries

Other

Whilst this overview is only based on the top 50 rateable value (rv) premises in the town and those places we have benchmarked it against, it does provide, along with the supermarket matrix above a sense of the key activities carried on and its nature as a place. By comparison with other similar towns the rv information shows Market Harborough has a good spread of economic activity and buildings across all 8 categories considered. The relatively small number of significant rv properties in terms of retail reflects the significant representation of independent retailers in the town. In terms of supermarkets the town is also one of only three, which have two premium supermarkets (ie Waitrose and Sainsburys). The relatively high number of significant rv properties in the factories and warehouses category reflects the fact that the town has a good mix of retail and wider employment uses. The high proportion of schools and college rv properties reflects the significance of the capacity of secondary schools in the area, with two state schools and an independent school.

Taking the setting, connections and profile of commercial properties together as a whole, the built environment of the town and its wider business activities identify it as a well-connected and relatively robust centre. In the “What the Stats Tell Us” section of the report we have looked in more detail at how sustainable the town is and how it compares to the other settlements in our list.

What Others Say

Measuring and benchmarking towns is currently a very popular topic. Two indices have been published in 2015 which give a flavour as to what others have to say about the Market Harborough and its wider setting. Halifax Rural Quality of Life Survey 2015 Published in the form of a Press Release on 30th March 2015 this year’s survey by the Halifax, listed the fifty rural districts considered to offer the best quality of life for their inhabitants. Harborough was ranked at number 26 in the list and six other districts containing market towns, which we have included in our statistics for comparative purposes, were also included. Comparing whole districts rather than specific towns is clearly less representative, nonetheless the fact that Harborough along with a number of other districts encompassing towns within our sample makes this survey of reporting. Firstly, how did the Halifax go about the process of ranking the different areas of the country and assessing the quality of life in them? Here is how they described it themselves: The Halifax Rural Quality of Life Survey tracks where living standards are highest in Great Britain by ranking local performance across key indicators covering: the labour market, the housing market, the environment, education, health, and personal well-being. The survey is based on data at local authority district (LAD) level and examines all 121 rural local authorities. Data has also been gathered from a number of sources, including: Halifax, Point Topic (Broadband data), ONS, DEFRA, the Met Office, the Department for Transport, the Department of Children, Schools and Families, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Welsh Assembly, and the Scottish Executive. The winner of their survey was Rutland, which was described in the following terms: Quietly nestling in the tranquil East Midlands countryside, Rutland is well known for Rutland Water and an array of unspoilt villages and charming market towns. As an idyllic rural destination it has many attractions for tourists and is now officially Britain's best rural place to live. This is the first time Rutland has come top, although prior to this the East Midlands had made the top ten on three separate occasions, coming second in 2014 and seventh in both 2013 and 2012.

Why is Rutland such a good place to live? • Residents tend to be fit and well – over 96% reporting good or fairly good health. • The employment rate is high with four out of five of 16-64 year olds in occupation, with many residents enjoying high incomes with weekly average earnings of £623. • Inhabitants live in relative security with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. • Residents enjoy a relatively good climate - less rainfall per year than the national average (681 mm against 879 mm) and more weekly sunshine hours (30.4 hours against the national average of 29.5 hours). • 98% of all households have a good level of broadband access – compared to 87% for the Britain as a whole. • Importantly, the ONS survey on personal well-being indicates that the Rutland adult population is among the most happy, satisfied and content in Britain.

On the flip side, the cost of living in Rutland is higher than in many other parts of Britain with an average house price that is 6.7 times the average annual pre-tax local income, compared to the national average of 6.2.

There is no specific mention of Harborough in the Press Release, but it is ranked at number 26. The other districts with towns in them, which are included in our sample, but again are not mentioned by name in the Press Release, are:

• Stamford – South Kesteven – 14 • Ely – East Cambridgeshire – 15 • Stowmarket – Mid Suffolk – 20 • Northallerton – Hambleton – 22 • Wantage – Vale of White Horse – 28 • Calne – Wiltshire - 45

The Sunday Times - Best Places to Live in Britain Published in the newspaper on 15th March 2015 was a list of the fifty towns, villages and suburbs considered by The Sunday Times to be the best places to live of their type. Because Market Harborough was ranked at number 34 in the list and two of the other ten market towns, which we have included in our statistics for comparative purposes, were also included (Lewes at 29 and Stamford at 45), we have taken a brief look at the article. Firstly, how did The Sunday Times go about the process of ranking the different towns? Here is how they described it themselves: Choosing the right location to put down roots is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, which is why we are here to help. A place is about more than property prices and train links. A home is about more than just bricks and mortar. If you get both right, it can instantly change the quality of your life, and even boost your fortunes. Our methodology relies on hard data (schools, crime rates, house prices and transport links), but also the expertise and knowledge of Sunday Times writers. We don’t believe that anyone should live by statistics alone. No one chooses their dream home according to an algorithm. Sometimes it comes down to gut instinct and personal judgment. We tell you if the village pub is worth frequenting and whether you’ll get parking tickets every time you pick up your sourdough. Our judges were: Eleanor Mills is editorial director of The Sunday Times and a columnist. Camden born and bred, she splits her time between London and the Cotswolds — but dreams of moving to north Devon. Helen Davies is editor of Home and a book reviewer. Now London-based, she grew up in Reigate, Surrey, which may well offer the best of both worlds, but has yet to claim her back. Alex Chesterman is the CEO of Zoopla Property Group. He is a leading entrepreneur and has been named one of the 100 key people in UK residential property. He lives in London with his family. Karen Robinson hopes the young creatives who provide a constant stream of fun and novelty will never be priced out of the capital by global investor cash: if it happens, she’ll follow (but not to Croydon).

The Sunday Times approach is somewhat different to the approach we have taken in assessing sustainability. In particular, the anecdotal views of their four contributors, all of whom originate from and are currently based in the South East of England, will undoubtedly differ - and be considerably less rigorous, pertinent and comprehensive than - our selection of non-traditional indicators, which have been developed with the help of local people in Market Harborough. However, it is always interesting to hear other people’s views.

Here is what The Sunday Times had to say about Market Harborough:

34 Market Harborough, Leicestershire Still relatively undiscovered by those seeking life after London, this ancient town in low-cost Leicestershire is within the magic hour by fast train from St Pancras. The charismatic mix of period architecture in the centre is topped by the newly renovated Old Grammar School, built on stilts in the early 1600s with a marketplace underneath. You can hire it out now, though Harborough has plenty of other interesting places for a get-together. Good for Sunday brunch is Joules Yard, where you can also pick up an antique, a vintage dress or listen to a local musician or two. The Grand Union Canal ends here — a nice spot for boating, cycling or a weekend stroll. There’s a lot of new housing going up around the town, from one-bed affordable flats to six-bedroom detached. Not all residents are happy about that, but there’s a Lidl, Aldi and a Waitrose on the outskirts, which should help keep traffic out of the old town. Average house price - £274,320 ▲ 5.37%. Why we love it - Bustle without the hustle.

Lewes was ranked five places above Market Harborough at number 29. The piece on Lewes (reproduced below) was specific in identifying some characteristics of the town, in particular the town’s position on a river, its historical architecture and the presence of independent retailers on the High Street, which are also prevalent in Market Harborough. But, in addition, it identifies one or two others which distinguish it from Market Harborough, namely its proximity to London and Brighton and the fact that Glyndebourne is nearby. Unsurprisingly, the average price of a house in Lewes is 60% higher than in Market Harborough.

29 Lewes, East Sussex

“It is set down better than any town I have seen in England.” So said William Morris of Lewes back in the 19th century, and he knew a good design when he saw one. Standing astride the tidal River Ouse, nestled beneath the chalk cliffs of the South Downs and presided over by a Norman castle, Lewes is a town of steep hills, narrow twittens (lanes) and ancient flint-faced buildings. All this might suggest a rather unchanging place, but Lewes is no stick-in-the-mud - the whiff of right-on alternative values carries on the breeze from Brighton, and the shops lining the high street tend more towards clothing boutique and artisan cheesemonger than chain store. Schools are a strong point - Lewes Old Grammar School has been going since the days of Henry VIII, while the two good primaries in the Southover area, and its proximity to the station, make it a popular area with families escaping from London. Trains to the capital take just over an hour, or you can be in Brighton in 15 minutes. Need more entertainment? Glyndebourne is on the doorstep, and Lewes hosts the biggest November 5 bonfire party in the land. Average house price - £436,399. Why we love it - Cobbled streets and tasty treats.

Stamford, which had won the competition two years previously, was ranked eleven places below Market Harborough at number 45, even though the piece on the town in this year’s report claimed that nothing there had changed for the worse. Again, historic architecture and independent retailers were identified as positive characteristics, but the article on Stamford did make a criticism of parking provision in the centre. The average house price was only £4,000 higher than in Market Harborough. The full text is reproduced below:

45 Stamford, Lincolnshire The honey-coloured market town in the Midlands won top spot in the 2013 edition of Best Places to Live. Nothing has changed to make this near-perfect community, and its proud residents, any less alluring. The pale limestone streetscapes have resisted all attempts to bring them into line for 20th-century convenience, never mind 21st. No yellow lines mar the best streets, so no need for them to be masked when the film crews descend for the next period drama. One-off shops and cafes, lush green water meadows by the river — gathering places for summer picnics and community events — and market stalls cramming Broad Street every Friday: these are just a few of the reasons Stamford still gets the thumbs up. Like so many

13 ancient towns, there’s a bit of a problem with parking in the centre, but who wants a multi-storey anywhere near these Georgian beauties? From here, it’s up to 90 minutes to London Kings Cross. Average house price - £278,516 ▲ 4.66%. Why we love it - Period houses at Lincolnshire prices. In summary, Market Harborough ranks considerably higher than Stamford and a little lower than Lewes. The criteria used by the judges in compiling the list of the Best Places to Live in Britain are not disclosed in sufficient detail for us to understand precisely how the rankings have been compiled - and the addition of an anecdotal element in the form of the judgment of four individuals makes this task an impossible one. However, the fact that The Sunday Times considered Market Harborough to be one of the best places to live in Britain does accord with our own findings that it is the most sustainable of the eleven towns in our sample. If this list was representative of the benchmarking work we have undertaken in more detail further on in the report Market Harborough would come second within the list of 10 benchmark towns we have considered.

In summary if this list were completely representative of the more detailed town data we have worked with below Market Harborough would come fifth within the list of benchmarked towns. However, it must be remembered that the Halifax Rural Quality of Life Survey lists only the top fifty districts and there are another seventy-one rural local authorities, which rank below all of the top fifty.

What the Stats Tell Us

Moving on from the interesting but relatively light touch indices above we have sought to develop a rigorous assessment of the sustainability of the town based on a detailed assessment of its characteristics. A good way to think about sustainability is to look in a rounded way at all the things which are important in supporting a good quality of life. In 2005 the Bristol Accord was developed by the European Union as a simple and clear means of doing this. It identified 8 important factors which help understand what makes a good place to live. These are set out in the diagram below:

We identified a number of statistical sources, which can be used to test how sustainable Market Harborough is against the measures in the Bristol Accord compared to England and compared to the list of 10 other towns we identified as being similar to it.

The reference group of towns was chosen through a stakeholder workshop in March 2014 convened by the Sustainable Harborough initiative. The towns in the reference groups were chosen from a master list of market towns with a population of 10-30,000 produced by Professor Peter Bibby of the University of Sheffield. The rationale for inclusion on the list was that the towns all act in broadly the same way as the main service centre for a significant rural hinterland.

The areas within the Bristol Accord were reduced from 8 domains to 6 to reflect the range of information, which is nationally available and comparable. The measurements were based either on data which could be mapped onto the Principal Urban Area for each town or which covered the local authority area in which the town was based. To reflect the looser fit of the data to the town in the context of the second category of measurements they were given a 50% smaller weighting than the measures, which referred directly to the town. In the table town related measures are categorized as “T” or town measures, local authority wider measures are categorized as “C” or contextual measures.

A number of further measures which help to describe the towns were identified by local people as being important and where it has been possible to identify data these have also been included but not counted in the sustainability assessment.

Towns have been ranked from left to right in columns in the table to indicate their relative position against these indicators.

The relative position of the towns has been colour coded using a Red, Amber, Green (RAG) approach – with the towns scoring highest coded green, those in the middle amber and those lowest red. This enables a quick reference of the relative performance of each town against each domain.

Many of the measures used are self-explanatory however it is useful to explain why the following measures were chosen:

Two measures were chosen from the 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation. This is a measure of how deprived a place is using rankings across the whole of England. We used two of these measures which were particularly useful:

Rank of barriers to housing and services score (where 1 is most deprived) – this measure includes: Household overcrowding - District level rate of acceptances under the homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act, assigned to the constituent area - Difficulty of access to owner-occupation - Road distance to a GP surgery - Road distance to a general store or supermarket - Road distance to a primary school - Road distance to a Post Office or sub post office.

Rank of living environment score (where 1 is most deprived) – this measure includes: - Social and private housing in poor condition - Houses without central heating - Air quality - Road traffic accidents involving injury to pedestrians and cyclists.

We chose ease of access to dentist and post office for the Well-Connected and Served domain – because these are the two measures from the Department for Transport data set on access to services which best reflect the availability of publicly funded services to communities.

“How satisfied are you with your life nowadays? Where 0 is 'not at all satisfied' and 10 is 'completely satisfied” – This is a useful attiduinal measure to broaden out the Active Inclusive Safe and Fair domain and is taken from the Office of National Statistics Annual Population Survey.

Job Density – is a simple formula which divides the number of jobs by the number of employees to give an indication of how well the workforce is served by the local economy

The table setting out the overall scores for Market Harborough, the towns we have compared it with and England as a whole is as follows:

Market Stratford Melton Domain Indicator England Stowmarket Northallerton Lewes Calne Wantage Stamford Ely Frome Harborough on Avon Mowbray

Well Run

Rank of barriers to housing and services score (where 1 is most T 16241.5 26974.5 26538 24926 18554 13736 29950 17342 23560 19794 17159.5 14757 deprived)

Ranking Score 3 10 9 8 5 1 11 4 7 6 3 2

C 97.8 98.5 99.4 98.88 99.6 98.25 99.5 98 100 99.1 98.8 98 Estimated collection rate (%) Ranking Score 0.5 2 4 2.5 5 1.5 4.5 0.5 5.5 3.5 2.5 0.5 Domain Score 3.5 12 13 10.5 10 2.5 15.5 12.5 12.5 9.5 5.5 2.5

Well Designed and Built

Rank of living environment score T 16241.5 27125 23437 30236 25257 18989 24869 28668.5 25742 23082.5 25073 22487 (where 1 is most deprived)

Ranking Score 1 10 3 11 7 1 5 9 8 2 6 4 Domain Score 1 10 3 11 7 1 5 9 8 2 6 4

Environment

Mean domestic electricity T 3963 3731 3684 3701 4055 3553 3893 4005 3435 3632 3724 3796 consumption (kWh per meter)

Ranking Score 2 5 8 7 1 10 3 2 11 9 6 4

Mean domestic gas consumption (kWh T 13660 14411 11196 14106 14172 12670 12348 13342 13363 13190 13212 11846 per meter) Ranking Score 4 1 11 3 2 9 8 5 4 7 6 10

Total CO2 Emissions per Capita (tonnes C 7 8.6 7.6 10.7 9.9 5.5 7.6 8.9 7.9 8 9.3 7.9 per person)

Ranking Score 4.5 2.5 4.5 0.5 2.0 5.5 4.5 2 3.5 3 1.5 3.5

Domain Score 10.5 8.5 23.5 10.5 5 24.5 15.5 9 18.5 19 13.5 17.5 Well Connected and Served

Minimum distance to services - 1079 952.5 1193 870.5 1424 671.5 1031 849 1398 1260.5 1147.5 913 Dentists (m) T Ranking Score 6 7 4 9 1 11 6 10 2 3 5 8

Minimum distance to services - Post 910 894.5 1149.5 1102 1094 1470.5 1111 783.5 1235 943 1531 1195 Office (m) T Ranking Score 8 10 5 7 8 2 6 11 3 9 1 4 Domain Score 14 17 9 16 9 13 12 21 5 12 6 12 Thriving

People who mainly work from home (% T 5.4 6.3 4.0 3.9 8.9 10.6 5.1 4.9 5.5 4.1 6.6 6.1 of employed population)

Ranking Score 6 7 2 1 10 11 5 4 6 3 9 8

T 0.7 0.8 0.5 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.5 Job Density (jobs per 16-64 year old) Ranking Score 6 8 3 11 9 9 1 2 6 6 5 3

Claimant Count (% of working T 2.0 0.6 1.3 1.5 0.4 1.2 1.4 0.6 1.3 1.4 1.1 1.3 population) Ranking Score 0.5 4.5 2 0.5 5.5 3.5 1 4.5 2 1 4 2

Growth in Business Floorspace - Total C 0.5 15.3 14.1 12.8 9.7 1.8 5.0 9.8 -1.6 8.1 8.2 -4.2 (%) Ranking Score 3 5.5 5 4.5 3.5 1.5 2 4 1 2.5 3 0.5

C 57.1 58.0 63.6 62.9 61.1 58.5 61.4 61.9 60.2 60.0 61.3 61.3 Business Survival Rate - 3 Years Ranking Score 0.5 0.5 5.5 5.0 2.5 1.0 4 4.5 2 1.5 3 3 Domain Score 16 25.5 17.5 22 30.5 26 13 19 17 14 24 16.5

Active Inclusive Safe and Fair

Economic activity rate - aged 16-64 - C 77.5 81.7 81.5 79 80.3 79.7 81.9 76.9 80 82.8 80.5 74.9 total

Ranking Score 1 4.5 4 1.5 3 2 5 1 2.5 5.5 3.5 0.5

Sport and active recreation (NI8) - C 24.7 31.6 29.7 26.4 30.4 30.0 30.9 28.8 20.6 22.0 23.7 25.1 Three (or more) times a week Ranking Score 2 5.5 4 2 4.5 4 5 3.5 0.5 1 1.5 2

C 52.6 46.4 49.9 49.0 46.8 54.3 50.8 47.6 52.0 56.2 51.8 52.8 Sports participation - No sport Ranking Score 1.5 5.5 3.5 4 5 1 3 4.5 2 0.5 2.5 1.5

How satisfied are you with your life nowadays? Where 0 is 'not at all C 7.49 7.89 7.95 7.72 7.84 7.8 7.64 7.23 7.88 7.54 7.67 7.73 satisfied' and 10 is 'completely satisfied'.

Ranking Score 0.5 5 5.5 2.5 4 3.5 1.5 0.5 4.5 1 2 3 Domain Score 5 20.5 17 10 16.5 10.5 14.5 9.5 9.5 8 9.5 7

Descriptive Measures

Population aged > 64 % T 16.3 18.8 17.0 20.8 21.7 17.4 15.0 18.6 20.1 17.5 16.5 16.8

T 63.3 73.1 71.2 66.6 67.2 65.4 69.2 70.9 65.4 70.9 63.8 68.7 Housing Stock Owned % Ethnicity - White UK T 79.8 92.7 94.7 95.8 87.9 89.5 94.9 93.6 92.7 93.4 83.9 93.7 Index Index Score 50 93.5 83.0 80.0 78.0 77.5 75.5 72.0 70.5 64.5 64.5 59.5 Index Rank 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 11

Analysis

Comparison of the scores for all 11 towns shows them to be more sustainable than the England averages. Market Harborough is the most sustainable town using these measures by a clear and significant margin.

Market Harborough is only in the bottom third of towns on one measure “Environment” where energy consumption is considerably higher than England and the vast majority of the other towns.

Market Harborough achieves a mid term position in relation to the Well Run domain. It has good access to services and relatively low levels of homelessness. The one area in this domain where its performance is less good is in relation to council tax collection, where collection rates are higher than the England average but lower than most other towns in the reference group.

Market Harborough comes second in the Well Connected and Served domain, which further reflects its good access to services.

Market Harborough achieves the highest score in the Active, Inclusive and Safe domain. It has good levels of economic activity, good levels of participation in sport and good overall levels of satisfaction with the quality of life of its residents.

Market Harborough comes second in the well designed and built domain. It has a relatively good quality housing stock, relatively low levels of pollution and relatively safe roads for pedestrians and cyclists.

Market Harborough comes third in the thriving domain. It has a good proportion of jobs in relation to its workforce, relatively low levels of unemployment, a significant number of people who work from home and has recently seen a significant increase in the amount of new business floorspace.

These results build heavily on the rateable value analysis in the Our Town section above. They indicate that the town is currently well ranked in terms of its sustainability. “Hard Facts” are only one indicator of the nature of a place. Our findings from a detailed discussion with the residents of the town through a comprehensive survey provide further insights about Market Harborough.

We have compared the performance of Market Harborough to England against all 6 areas of Bristol Accord analysis in the radar diagram below:

Well Run 1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 Active 0.50 W Designed 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 England 0.00 M Harborough

Thriving Environment

W Conencted

What the People Tell Us

The Measuring What Matters survey ran for 8 weeks during May and June 2015. The survey questions were carefully constructed to generate views, which could be used to test the factual analysis in the “What the Stats Tell Us” section of the report. We took each of the domains within the Bristol Accord (our framework for measuring sustainability) and developed questions, which would enable people to describe their experience and behavior against the key elements of each domain. These are set out in column 2 in the table below as “Qualitative Themes”. The benefit of this approach is that we can attribute a financial value (through a process called Social Return on Investment) to improving each of the domains within the Bristol Accord (more detail on this is set out in a separate appendix prepared for the report). This means that we pinpoint the value to society of any successful future actions, which address any of the challenges raised in relation to specific questions in the survey. The full survey results have also been set out in a separate companion report to this document.

Column 1 in the table “Quantitative Measures” shows the results for each area of the Bristol Accord domains in the “What the Stats Tell Us” section of the report. We have included this so you can see how the stats and the survey relate to each other. Column 3 shows the survey results for each question. For each section of the questionnaire these columns are preceded by a chart, which shows the results at a glance and a box at the end which provides our interpretation of the results.

The survey was circulated across Market Harborough using a range of techniques based on a “snowball” approach – ie using intermediaries to build the engagement of the target group, in this case the population of the town. It was distributed by the people who came to our two meetings to their contacts, it was distributed to local contacts by a number of people on the Steering Group for the project, a press release was issued to the Harborough Mail, individual canvassing of townsfolk was carried out at the I Love Market Harborough Festival and the Market Harborough Carnival. Responses were further boosted through Facebook advertising. Work was also undertaken by contacting specific interest groups in the town and seeking their cooperation to ensure that people from all backgrounds and age groups were encouraged to participate. Analysis of postcodes enabled us to identify the number of responses directly from Market Harborough.

The findings from the survey (which are available in detail in a separate document) show a striking similarity in most areas to the findings from the factual analysis. 273 responses were achieved. Over 200 of those responses came from people with a Market Harborough postcode, giving us a sample of the views of 1% of the population.

We have checked the distribution of responses across key LE16 postcode areas. The distribution breakdown is as follows: LE16 7.. – town and north/east (68 responses), LE16 8.. (33 responses) town and south/east, LE 16 9… (97 responses) town and south/west – a small number just gave their postcode as LE16. This shows a reasonable overall distribution of respondents with LE 16 7… and LE 16 8… broadly splitting the east of the town and hinterland and LE16 9.. covering the whole of the town and west hinterland area. A survey covering 200 replies enables us following statistical principles to identify a margin of error in terms of how representative people’s views are within + or – 7% 95% of the time.

It is important to recognize that there are a number of ways of interpreting information. Whilst we can draw some clear conclusions from the information collected by cross referencing the “hard data” and the survey information we are not suggesting where they broadly agree this represents a “truth”. Rather we are able to infer from considering how the two data sources mesh together some high level assumptions about Market Harborough as a town. This is not a bad starting point and as this report will be refined and updated regularly provides a baseline for the future.

Quantitative Qualitative Themes Survey Questions Measures

Well Run 14

6 Actual 4

0 Time on Time with Group Local Consulted good causes friends activities benefit enough groups

Improved capacity for local solutions to local How much of your time and money do you contribute to good problems causes – 0-10%, 10-25% over 25%? – LOWEST 1/3

Strengthened public and civic engagement How much of your time do you spend with friends and relatives – 0-10%, 10-25% over 25% - TOP 1/3

Barriers to Housing Improved efficiency and dynamism of community How much of your free time do you spend on group or other and Services 2/11 and voluntary sector social activities – 0-10%, 10-25%, 25-50%, over 50%? – 2ND Council Tax Levels QUARTILE 8/11 RANKING 5/11 Improved local support for individuals in the How many groups and societies providing local benefits have you community (linked to social capital and volunteer come across – 0-10, 10-25, 25-50, over 50? – LOWEST 1/3 numbers)

Response to consultations, satisfaction with Do you have enough opportunity to make your views known engagement about things that are important in the town – on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is definitely not and 12 definitely yes – RANGE 4.95 – 5.7

Interpretation

Responses are broadly consistent with quantitative measures, specifically:

The low result for contributions to good causes and for groups and societies providing local benefits could be because the need for support has been reduced by effective provision of services/support by governmental and other agencies.

People appear to spend time with friends and relatives rather than socializing, possibly because of the family-friendly nature of the town (as shown in other sections).

Well Connected and Served 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 Actual 0

Increased use of public transport and reduced What proportion of your travel does not include using your own dependence on private cars -(also availability and car or the cars of other people in your networks – 0-25%, 25- accessibility) 50%, over 50%? – LOWEST 1/3

How do you rate the availability of public transport – on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is very poor and 12 excellent? – RANGE 6.01 – 6.92

Improved health and well-being for local residents What contribution does living in or around Market Harborough make to how happy you are on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is unhappy and 12 very happy? RANGE 8.65 – 9.95

More substantive links between organisations and How well do you think organisations in the town work together

service providers for the common good on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is definitely not Distance to Services and 12 definitely yes? RANGE 6.3 – 7.24 (Dentist 4/11, Post

Office 2/11)

RANKING 2/11 Improved performance of local schools and How easy is it for a school leaver in Market Harborough to get a

educational institutions job in the town on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is definitely not and 12 definitely yes? RANGE 5.05 – 5.81

Improved family and children's services (sustained How good a place is Market Harborough to raise a family in on a provision proportionate to population) scale of 1-12 where 1 is definitely not good and 12 very good? RANGE 9.06 – 10.42

Increased provision of safe cycle- and walk-ways How well does Market Harborough compare with other places you know in terms of the amount and safety of its cycle and walkways on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is badly and 12 really well? RANGE 7.16 – 8.24

Responsiveness of emergency services

Ease of getting a doctor’s appointment How well looked after do you feel by the public services in Access to and cost of childcare Market Harborough in terms for example the responsiveness of Services for vulnerable older people the emergency services, the ease of getting a doctor’s appointment, any support you or relatives get to maintain a good quality of life on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is definitely not and 12 definitely yes? RANGE 6.61 – 7.61

Interpretation:

Again, the quantitative and qualitative measures seem to be broadly aligned:

Two factors may be acting together to produce a low dependence on public transport, namely (i) the relative affluence of the population which means that many people have their own cars and (ii) the ease of access to services, which obviates the need for public transport.

Clearly, the respondents to the survey feel strongly that living in Market Harborough makes a significant contribution to their happiness and that it is a good place to raise a family.

It is possible that the town’s relative affluence is the principal reason why school-leavers find it difficult to find jobs, because there are relatively few low-paid opportunities and few large corporate employers in the area.

People seem to be relatively happy with the provision and safety of cycle paths and walkways - some of the town centre is pedestrianized and a lot of the pavements are wide and spacious, so this result is not surprising.

The reasonable level of satisfaction with public services in Market Harborough is perhaps a reflection of the extent to which it is well run and the ease of access to facilities in the town.

Environment

Carbon reduction through sustainable behaviours How many people do you know who own an allotment in the and increase in green space Market Harborough area? 2ND QUARTILE

What proportion of the people you know prefer to buy local produce 0-10, 10-25, 25-50, over 50? 2ND QUARTILE

How much green space compared to other places you know do you think Market Harborough has on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is very little and 12 much more? RANGE 7.43-8.55

Improved water and soil quality - responses to this How important do you think the River Welland and the Grand CO2 Emissions 6/11 question may have been conditioned by the very Union Canal are to the quality of life in Market Harborough on a Electricity active record of the Welland River Trust scale of 1-12 where 1 is not and 12 very? RANGE 8.85 – 10.18 Consumption 6/11 Gas Consumption Increased aesthetic and cultural value of physical How attractive and interesting do you think Market Harborough 11/11 environment particularly build in an aspect of New is in terms of its buildings, culture and history on a scale of 1-12 RANKING 10/11 Housing and how this contributes (or doesn’t) where 1 is not and 12 very? RANGE 8.78 – 10.11

Improved resource efficiency adoption of How well do you think the adoption of renewable energy has renewable energy in business sector been taken up by people and businesses in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not and 12 very? LOWEST QUARTILE

Maintenance of biodiversity – looking at farming How effective do you think businesses, local volunteers and and number of farms in Environmental Stewardship public bodies are at protecting the local character of the area in (or whatever the finance mechanism is now) and terms of nature and the environment on a scale of 1-12 where 1 look at Welland Rivers Trust and Leicestershire and is not and 12 very? RANGE 6.92 – 7.97 Rutland Wildlife Trust – there is one SSSI locally, and one local wildlife group in Great Bowden

Interpretation:

In this category the quantitative measures relate to energy usage and show that consumption of both gas and electricity in Market Harborough is high in comparison not only to the other market towns in our group, but also to the national average. The reason for this may be connected to the size and age of the housing stock. In any case, it appears to be largely at odds with the qualitative measures which are centred on the built environment.

Where the quantitative and qualitative measures do appear to be aligned is the relatively small number of people owning allotments and the low rate of adoption of renewable energy in the area. This latter will obviously mean that CO2 emissions are not being reduced as much as they could be (or potentially are being in the comparable towns) and consumption of fossil fuels is also not declining as quickly as it could be.

However, on a positive note the survey shows clearly that the town is considered to have a considerable amount of green space; perhaps surprisingly, the River Welland and the Grand Union Canal are seen as crucial to the quality of life; and the character of the local environment is being well maintained.

Active Inclusive and Safe

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 Actual 0

Economic

Activity 2/11

Sport Participation

1/11

Life Satisfaction 2/11

RANKING 1/11

Improved social capital, community ties and

33 strengthened civic engagement through greater use How much of any free income you have do you spend of community space (with focus on buildings and on participating in local activities and on local events? their use) 0-10%, 10-25%, 25-50% over 50%? – LOWEST 1/3

How good are the facilities for people who want to engage in leisure and recreation activities in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not and 12 very? RANGE 6.92 – 7.97

Improved social inclusion and access to community resources How strongly do you feel a sense of “belonging” to Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not and 12 very? RANGE 7.86 – 9.04

Increased volunteering and potential for greater community participation and development How important do you think volunteering is to the quality of life in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not and 12 very? RANGE 6.98 – 8.03

Reduced social isolation for community members (loneliness and transport key themes) How often do you speak to your neighbours on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very often and 12 very often? RANGE 7.55 – 8.69 Increased empathy and understanding (e.g. of people with dementia) How well do you think people from different backgrounds get on in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 7.22 – 8.31 Improved ability to affect local change (and wider area) How important do you think it is to take an active role in local democracy on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE – 8.10-9.32

Interpretation

In this category the results of the survey in respect of the qualitative measures are broadly in line with the quantitative measures and are strongly supportive of the view that Market Harborough is active, inclusive, safe and fair.

It seems that our respondents identify positively with the town; get on well with their neighbours and with people from different backgrounds; and are willing to take an active role in local democracy.

Only the responses to the direct question about discretionary spending on local activities and local events seem to be out of line with the answers to the other questions in this section. However, given that leisure and recreation activities in the town are generally thought to be good, perhaps the low level of expenditure is because there are sufficient free or low-cost facilities to keep people happy. This view is broadly supported by the consultation with the Speak Out Group.

Well Designed and Built 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 Actual 0

Improved protection, management and How willing would you be to pay for the protection and conservation of historic resources maintenance of the local buildings and facilities which make up the character of Market Harborough if more money were needed on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 6-6.9

Living Environment (IMD) 2/11 Increased or improved open green spaces and How willing would you be to pay for increased or improved RANKING 2/11 recreational infrastructure especially with new green spaces and recreational infrastructure if more money were development needed on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 6.21 – 7.14

Improved access and affordability to quality How easy is it for a new person arriving in Market Harborough to housing find reasonably priced accommodation to rent on a scale of 1-12

where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 4.71 – 5.42

How easy is it for a new person arriving in Market Harborough to find reasonably priced accommodation to buy on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 4.71 – 5.42

Reduction in crime and the perception of crime How important is it to reduce crime and people’s fear of crime in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 8.62 – 9.92

Improved resilience of natural and man-made How willing would you be to pay more towards investment in structures against disasters – flooding particularly protecting the town from flooding and other unforeseen disasters on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 5.45 – 6.27

New builds maintain the aesthetic character of the How important is it that any new housing development maintains town the current nature and “feel” of Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 10.02 – 11.53

Interpretation:

Market Harborough does well on the quantitative measures, but not quite as well on the qualitative measures - with two exceptions which relate to specific circumstances/situations.

Because the built environment is viewed as attractive and characterful, there is a clear desire to see it properly maintained, although people’s willingness to pay for additional protection from flooding is surprisingly low.

The lowest range of responses in this category relates to the availability of reasonably priced accommodation in the town. Given the attractive nature of the existing built environment and the relative affluence of the population, it is not surprising that affordable housing is in short supply.

The two exceptional results are:

Our respondents concern with crime, when they consider that Market Harborough is a safe, family-orientated place. This can perhaps in part be explained by the recent announcement of plans to consider the closure of the police station; and

The very strong feeling that new housing development in the area must maintain the current nature and feel of the town. This can perhaps be explained by the proposals to develop 1,500 new homes on the Airfield Farm Strategic Development Area on the northwestern edge of Market Harborough, which were recently approved by the district council’s Planning Committee in spite of considerable opposition from local residents.

Thriving 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Actual

Increase in the creation of new micro-enterprises How important do you think the development of new small business is to the future of Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 Business Floorspace where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 9.36 – 10.17 (1/11)

Home Workers

(5/11) Increase in entrepreneurship and innovation How dynamic and successful do you think businesses in Market Business Survival including social innovation and entrepreneurship Harborough are on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 (11/11) very? RANGE 7.89 – 9.08 Job Density (4/11)

Unemployment Increased employability of local people (linked to How easy is it to find a job in Market Harborough on a scale of 1- (2/11) FE provision locally) 12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 4.85 – 5.55 RANKING 3/11

Skills development and improvement for residents How easy is it for skilled people to find work in Market

and workers (including migrant workers and Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? apprenticeships) RANGE 5.44 – 6.26

How serious a problem is unemployment in Market Harborough on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 5.55 – 6.39

Increased provision of vocational education and How useful would it be for Market Harborough to have its own training Further Education College on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not very and 12 very? RANGE 5.16 – 5.93

Proportion of spend by residents in local shops What proportion of your income do you spend in shops and on other services in Market Harborough – 0-25%, 25-50%, over 50%? MIDDLE 1/3RD

Retail mix How much choice and variety do you think the town centre offers in terms of shopping on a scale of 1-12 where 1 is not much and 12 is a great variety? RANGE 7.25 – 8.34

Interpretation:

There is some discrepancy under this heading between the responses to our survey which relate to opportunities for young people and others lacking skills and those which relate to the existing state of the town.

Clearly, the quantitative and qualitative measures of business vitality and success are both high, although the former show a poor rate of business survival, which is not reflected in the latter. It may be that people are generally aware of small businesses opening and operating, but do not notice when they cease to trade.

Our respondents believe that the retail offer in Market Harborough is good and they spend a considerable amount in local shops and on local services.

Echoing the responses to our questions about affordable housing and opportunities for school-leavers, it seems that finding work in the town, even for skilled people, is not easy and, although unemployment is not seen as a significant problem, a number of our respondents are

nonetheless aware of it as a potential issue.

Given that our initial consultations with members of the local community suggested that its absence was a major drawback for Market Harborough, there is no great enthusiasm amongst our respondents for a Further Education College.

In addition to the survey two other activities were undertaken which helped gauge public opinion on these key issues.

“I Love Market Harborough”

At a stall at the “I Love Market Harborough” Festival in June 2015 22 people responded to a series of prompts aimed to establish their views on the town. The results were as follows:

Questions:

Is it hard to find somewhere affordable to rent or buy? Agree: 7 Disagree: 5

Is Market Harborough a good place to shop? Yes: 21 No: 1

Is Market Harborough a good place to raise a family? Agree: 16 Disagree: 0

Is it easy to find work in Market Harborough? Yes: 2 No: 8

Ranking - On a scale of 1(low) - 12(high) I rate Market Harborough at ….. overall as a place to live and/or work 9 - 2 votes 10 – 5 votes 11 – 4 votes 12 – 8 votes

What is the best thing about Market Harborough you can think of? Good Shopping Lived here since 1970 aged 5 now 50! Lovely place to live, central to everything whilst maintaining a small town feel Good range of facilities – concerts, films, live recordings etc.

What is the worst thing about Market Harborough you can think of? No town council

The results of this consultation further reinforce very significantly the wider outcomes of the Measuring What Matters Survey.

“Speak Out”

As a second approach to gauging all shades of opinion about Market Harborough Gavin Fletcher the Project Manager for Sustainable Harborough met with a group of young residents of the town – “The Speak Out Group” to run through a condensed number of questions drawn from the Measuring What Matters Survey. The outcome of his discussions is set out below:

1. How well does Market Harborough compare with other places in terms of the amount and safety of its cycle and walkways?

There was a general thought that Market Harborough is well catered for in terms of cycle and walkways, but that these areas aren’t necessarily well respected – cars parking on them etc. The group said they didn’t see many bikes on the High Street, but it is good for walking with broad pavements and good crossing points. They also mentioned Brampton Valley Way and the Canal as good non-car routes.

2. How important is it to reduce crime and fear of crime in Market Harborough?

General perception was that this is a low crime area, but people are still vigilant, they hear about low level crime, but not much serious crime.

3. How well do Market Harborough’s events and facilities cater for your age group?

Market Harborough is seen as quite good. The group do head out to Leicester and Corby for events and socialising reflecting that Market Harborough has some services but not as much as a city. They mentioned Arts Fresco and the Carnival – so it seems that the key annual events that are put on are appreciated by the young people.

4. How often do you speak to your neighbours?

The answer was ‘quite often’ or ‘every day’ with some reflecting that they talk to their elderly neighbours. Several examples of the young people providing help and support to their neighbours were raised as part of the discussion.

5. How good are leisure and recreation facilities in Market Harborough?

The view was that the Leisure Centre in Market Harborough is quite good, but pretty tired (the group started off quite polite about the Leisure Centre, but ended up being pretty negative about it when comparing to other Leisure Centres – its state of repair putting some in the group off going). Corby is seen as much better for swimming. The group knew of a number of other opportunities in the town (even though they don’t use them) listing rugby, football, tennis, squash, gym and outdoor fitness equipment on the park. The general feeling was that there is a good range, and there are some improvements to be made to the main leisure facility.

6. How much green space does Market Harborough have compared to other places?

A couple in the group were very negative about the new housing development for the town (Airfield Farm development) because they really value the canal – the development will impinge on the canal taking away surrounding greenery along with adding noise. Generally though, Market Harborough was seen as good for green space. The group were very proud of Market Harborough’s rural character – there was quite a long discussion about this, future housing developments and whether people will value this rurality in the future.

There was a view that maybe there is too much sheltered accommodation for old people, but that reflected an ageing population – particularly in Market Harborough. This also led onto the question of future affordability of housing for these young people and whether they will be able to stay – a couple had picked up on the recent news report about Market Harborough appearing in the Top Fifty ‘supertowns’ (The Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain). This element of the Sustainability of Market Harborough on a generational level certainly warrants discussion and could form a case study. The group were interested in steering a ‘case study’ about ‘The State of the Town Report – What it tells us for Young People’.

The group leader has also reported back that the young people are thinking of using a future version of Speak Out magazine to talk about the Airfield Farm Development.

Along with the results from the “I Love Market Harborough” Festival the comments arising from this discussion help to build a picture alongside the outcome of the Measuring What Matters Survey which provides a consistent impression of the sustainability of the town. Key themes arising from the discussion which reinforce these findings include: a high regard for the setting and natural amenities of the town, a general feeling that the broader entertainment “offer” of the town is relatively good in proportion to its size, a sense of relative harmony and good intergenerational connections within the town.

So What?

Our work makes a clear case for arguing that Market Harborough does well as a sustainable settlement in comparison to England and a reference group of other towns. The factual benchmarks we have used are largely substantiated by what the survey tells us about people’s views and experiences.

There are some clear strengths to build on for Sustainable Harborough and other like-minded organisations in seeking to help the town become “first in class” and some ongoing challenges to address where its performance is relatively less successful than might have been hoped. These are summarized in the hearts and clouds below and further set out showing how they link to the Bristol in the table below:

people think there should be more opportunity to people feel it is important to be involved in comment on the things happening in the town the running of the town

people think it is hard for school leavers to find jobs people feel very happy living in town

people feel MH is a good place to raise a people think more could be done to reduce energy family consumption in the town

people feel the area has great building and people spend a relatively small proportion of their time natural resources participating in local activities

people feel a strong sense of belonging to people feel housing is hard to rent or buy for some sections of the community the town

people feel that the town is a neighbourly people would like the town to be an even safer place to place live

people would like more job opportunities in the local people feel that different social and age economy groups get on well in the town

people think the town has a dynamic small

business environment people feel there are few job opportunities for the lower skilled in the area

Strengths Weaknesses

Domain Element Domain Element

Well Run – public and civic participation – people feel it is Well Run – quality of consultations, satisfaction with engagement important to be involved in the running of the town in decision making – people think there should be more opportunity to comment on the things happening in the town

Well Connected and Served - improved numbers of school leavers Well Connected and Served – health and well-being of local accessing jobs locally – people think it is hard for school leavers to residents – people feel very happy living in the town find jobs Environmentally Sensitive - improved resource efficiency adoption Well Connected and Served – family and children’s services – of renewable energy – people think more could be done to reduce people feel the town is a good place to raise a family energy consumption in the town

Active, Inclusive, Safe and Fair – improved community ties through Environmentally Sensitive – aesthetic and cultural value of greater use of community space (with focus on buildings and their physical environment – people feel the area has great building and use) – people spend a relatively small proportion of their time natural resources participating in local activities Well Designed and Built - improved access and affordability to Active, Inclusive, Safe and Fair – social inclusion and access to quality housing – people feel housing is hard to rent or buy for community resources – people feel a strong sense of belonging to some sections of the community – for example young people, the town people with low incomes

Well Designed and Built - reduction in crime and particularly the Active Inclusive, Safe and Fair – empathy and understanding – perception of crime – people would like the town to be an even people feel that the town is a neighbourly place safer place to live

Active, Inclusive, Safe and Fair – ability to affect local change – Thriving - increased employment opportunities for local people –

people feel that different social and age groups get on well in the people would like more job opportunities in the local economy town Thriving - skills development opportunities for residents and Thriving –micro-enterprises – people think the town has a workers (linked to FE provision locally) – people feel there are few dynamic small business environment job opportunities for the lower skilled in the area

The diagram below summarises the challenges and opportunities arising from this analysis.

Areas to Consolidate •Physical environment •Family environment •Local health & well-being •Public & civic participation •Social inclusion •Local empathy & understanding •Ability to affect local change •Stock of micro-enterprises

Areas to Strengthen •Feelings of involvement in decision making •Access to housing •More school leavers accessing local jobs •Improved resource efficiency •Improved community ties through use of local buildings •Reduction in crime/perception of crime •Increased employment opportunities for local people •Increased skills development opportunities for local people

Taken as a whole these potential priority areas constitute 16 key themes where investment and influence might be exercised to increase the sustainability of Market Harborough. Whilst all areas of endeavor have value and importance the particular social benefits to be achieved from making improvements to these themes are set out in the table above.

Another Way of ensuring that we avoid being complacent about Market Harborough’s strengths and show relatively limited concern for its weaknesses is to consider the overall results of the state of the town report as a set of vulnerabilities. These can be summarized in terms of the wheel set out below – the darkest shading shows the area of greatest challenge and the lightest the area of least challenge:

Environment

Well Run

Thriving

Well Connected and Served Well Designed and Built

Active Inclusive Safe and Fair

Sorted

Bringing the logic flow of this report together our state of the town report has established the following picture of Market Harborough.

The town is already very sustainable according to available statistics. It measures up well against the England averages and a comparable selection of 10 similar towns in other parts of England. Local people largely agree with the statistical findings. Brining the two areas of research together we can develop a clear agenda moving forward for the future development of the town. This involves a series of areas of strength where more work can help keep Market Harborough at the top of the pile as best in class. It also involves a series of areas of weakness where the town has some way to go to improve its performance when compared to the England and comparable town averages.

This report provides a good case for the development of a detailed action plan amongst key stakeholders to think about how best to address these challenges. It also provides a really good statistical and survey based methodology for measuring progress (by repeating both the statistical analysis and the survey on an annual basis) against the challenges set out here.

Appendix – Social Return on Investment

Social return on investment calculates the value to society of outcomes, which improve people’s lives. It does this by identifying an outcome – for example people feel very happy with their surroundings. It then works out a value for each person’s happiness by looking at something we can measure that relates to the outcome. For example in this case it could be the annual spend by families on recreation and leisure – ie things people like to do. We know from the Office for National Statistics that in 2014 this was £3599. So if a project increases the number of people feeling happy about their surroundings in Market Harborough and we can show that for example 10 people are happier the gross value of that could be said to be £35,399.

It is too simplistic to ascribe all of that value to one initiative as there may be other things we can’t count which have also contributed to it, we have to take account of what would have happened anyway, who else might claim a share of the outcome and how the impact of the outcome is likely to drop off over time. We make a judgement of these factors as an overall percentage. So if in this case that was 50% we might claim the value of our contribution to the outcome was £17,700.

There is also a cost to any initiative. To turn our social value into a financial return we would then divide this figure by the cost. So if the cost of achieving the outcome was £8850 – the social return on investment would be £17,700/£8,850 = £2 for each £1 invested.

This approach is helpful because we have a value for improving all of the themes in the survey we used to develop the questions. This means we can give a value to the outcome for each question. For example the theme - Improved health and well-being for local residents, leads to the question: What contribution does living in or around Market Harborough make to how happy you are? We have good evidence from a study funded by Government that improved emotional well being in families is worth £1,698 per family. If a project arising this report leads to more families being supported in tackling their problems we can therefore work out its value to society.

Key Sources of Information

2005 – Bristol Accord Conclusions of Ministerial Informal on Sustainable Communities in Europe – Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – Setting the context for judging a sustainable place. 2009 – A Guide to Social Return on Investment – new economics foundation and the Cabinet Office – Assessing the Value of Outcomes, Developing the Questions for the “What the People Tell Us” Survey. 2010 – Index of Multiple Deprivation – Department of Communities and Local Government – Barriers to Service and Quality of Life Assessment 2011 – Census – Office of National Statistics – Population and Workforce Figures, Including Home Workers, Housing Stock and Job Density. 2013 – Accessibility Statistics – Department of Transport – Assessing the Relative Level of Access to Services in Market Harborough 2013 – Annual Population Survey – Office for National Statistics – Judging Life Satisfaction 2013 – Business Demography – Office for National Statistics – Stock of Businesses. 2013 – Business Register and Employment Survey – Office of National Statistics – Job Density, Business Profile in the District. 2013 – CO2 Emissions per Capita – Department of Environment and Climate Change – Energy Consumption 2013-14 Active People Survey – Sport England – Judging Levels of Exercise and Participation in Sport 2015 - Valuation Office Agency Database – Rateable Values. 2015 – 2011 Rural-Urban Classification of Local Authority and Other Higher Level Geographies for Statistical Purposes – Defra – Identifying comparator towns. 2015 – Halifax Building Society Rural Quality of Life Survey – Benchmarking Market Harborough. 2015 – Royal Mail Postcode Finder – Assessing the distribution of responses to the “What the People Tell Us” Survey 2015 – Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain – Benchmarking Market Harborough. 2015 – Valuation Office Agency Experimental Statistics – Growth in Business Floorspace. 2015 – Office of National Statistics – Job Seekers Allowance – Unemployment.