Transition Harborough Community Action for a sustainable future

Hi all,

One of the thoughts I have been pondering for a while now is should we push to hold a town show, something that celebrates Harboroughs rural character and reflects its history.

Now, some of us may have wondered what was being planned for the show ground on the Airfield farm development but I believe this article kills two birds with one stone.

The Leicestershire County Show has been scrapped for at least two years and is also having to find a new home, the organisers have revealed.

The show is one of the biggest agricultural events in the county's calendar.

Organisers, the Leicestershire Agricultural Society, initially said the reasons were "unforeseen circumstances".

Chairman James Webb has since revealed landowners Barratt Homes pulled the plug on the last five years of a 10-year lease on the former airfield it uses on the outskirts of Melton.

The event has also been hit by varying attendances, which it is claimed are due to the weather, and the failure to get planning permission for events to help subsidise the show.

Mr Webb said the show would go ahead in 2012, but on land owned by William Davis in Market Harborough.

In a statement, Barratt said it was happy for the show to go ahead this May, because the lease would run until the end of that month.

However, the organisers said they were reliant on holding fund-raising events after May which was not now possible.

The two-day event attracts around 20,000 visitors, and has been held near Melton since 2006.

Mr Webb said: "Barratt's terminated the contract. We had a 10-year lease with a five-year break clause. They've not told us why, but they don't need to give us a reason.

"More recently, we've had the opportunity to move to Market Harborough and thought we would be able to have a show in 2011, but it looks like things won't be ready for us to stage a show there before 2012.

"The show relied on staging other events to help subsidise it but we were unable to hold anything after May."

He added: "Numbers at the show in Melton have been all over the place, it really is a weather thing.

"I'm not saying we didn't do well at Melton and I'm disappointed we've had to come away this year."

Mr Webb said the airfield site next to the prison at Market Harborough – being developed by William Davis – would include a showground with permanent show office and rings.

Melton borough councillor Matthew O'Callaghan said: "They've struggled to make money because they're limited by the number of events they can hold. The 21 days they're allowed includes setting up and taking down."

Martin Leyland, director of Barratt Strategic Land, said: "We understand the Leicestershire Agricultural Society had scheduled the County Show for the beginning of May.

"The lease does not expire until May 31 so we are not aware of any reason why the event could not have been held on the airfield this year. If the society would like to extend the lease beyond 2010 we would be happy to re-negotiate it with them."

Will there be an appetite for two shows in Harborough I wonder?

​Darren