Melton Borough is an attractive rural area in the north-east part of Leicestershire and at the heart of the East Midlands. It has an area of 48,138 hectares and is one of the 50 most sparsely populated districts in the UK. The main activities of the Borough are centered on the single market town of Melton Mowbray, which has a population of about 25,000. There are some 70 small villages within the surrounding rural area. Bottesford and Asfordby are the two largest villages each with a population of about 3,000. The other villages range in size from small hamlets with 20 persons to villages where up to 700 people live. Melton Borough Council provides an efficient, effective, economic and democratic way of administering local services which include: • Collection of council tax and non-domestic rates • Environmental health • Council housing • Local planning, building and development control • Public conveniences • Recreation and arts • Waste collection • Some roads and footpaths • By-laws • Licensing