Contact details

Clerk: Maria Smith
Mobile: 07716 642077
Email: clerk@kibworthbeauchamp-pc.gov.uk

The Kibworth Joint Recreation Committee was formed in 1982 by both Kibworth Parish Councils in order to administer the public recreation facilities in the two Kibworths. Today the Committee manages and maintains the recreation grounds of Warwick Park and Smeeton Road, and the Play Areas at Rookery Close and Larkswood. These areas are owned by one or other of the two Parish Councils, except for Warwick Park (formerly the Warwick Road Recreation Ground), which is jointly owned having been purchased by both parish councils (November 2015) using s106 funding. It used to be on a joint lease from Kibworth High School Foundation. Leicestershire County Council was the Trustee and acted as landlord in the leasing arrangements.

Following new audit regulations, both parish councils were advised in 2017 that joint committees holding bank accounts, assets and employing their own clerks, were no longer permitted. Following elections in May 2019, processes were set in motion to draw up an initial Memorandum of Understanding in 2019 that set about moving all assets, bank accounts for joint recreation to be the responsibility of Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council, but with representatives from Kibworth Harcourt Parish Council helping to make decisions about joint recreation matters. The new arrangements took effect on 1 April 2020 and the name of the committee changed to the Kibworth Joint Recreation Board.

The Board comprises of representatives from Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council (currently Councillors Pat Copson (chairman) Chris Lee, and from Kibworth Harcourt Parish Council (Councillors Kevin Feltham (vice-chairman), Caroline Abbott, and Kirsty Stanfield. Some 5 or 6 private meetings are held each year in Kibworth Grammar School Hall with additional meetings called if necessary. Recommendations from meetings are ratified at the following Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council public meeting and the joint work summarised at both parish council meetings.

Warwick Park: On Wednesday 18 November 2015, the Chairs of the two Kibworth parish councils (Chris Wood for KBPC and Kevin Feltham for KHPC) signed documents that transferred the ownership of the historic Warwick Road Recreation Ground to the people of both parishes forever and paid for by s106 community funding. This historic event followed many years of discussions with Leicestershire County Council, and more than a year of detailed negotiations. The transaction was managed by the then Kibworth Joint Recreation Committee which was made up of councillors from Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt, and which looks after not only the Warwick Road Recreation Ground, but also Smeeton Road Rec, Rookery Close and Larkswood. It means that the future of the land, how it is used and how it is looked after is now for the people of the two Kibworth villages to decide. It will continue to be managed by the Kibworth Joint Recreation Board. In March 2020, the Joint Recreation Board approved changing the name to Warwick Park in recognition of the Beauchamp family, later Earls of Warwick, who originally owned the land.

Allotments: Kibworth Joint Recreation Board has acquired land and converted it into sixty community allotment plots, all of which are now bearing fruit. For more information please check their FaceBook page here.

Enquiries concerning KJRB responsibilities or activities should normally be made to the Parish Manager, Maria Smith, email clerk@kibworthbeauchamp-pc.gov.uk.

Here are five pdf design ideas that the Joint Recreation Board has been discussing with the designer for a few months. They've already had a number of amendments but the parish councils felt now was the time to seek further ideas and comments from the public which is why they were exhibited at the consultation event on Sunday 26 September 2021. The plans are also available to see in the parish office at Kibworth Grammar School Hall where they can be seen and discussed with a clerk or councillor by appointment.

A suggestion has been made to create a video of a councillor explaining the concepts behind each design, but that will take a while to be completed if funds can be identified, so in the meantime here are pdfs of the latest designs.

The designs are for five park areas:

Warwick Park, Jubilee Green, Smeeton Road Eec, Larkswood and Rookery Close.