MP sending survey to 11,000 villagers about park plans
44-acre rail-freight hub proposed near Burbage and Hinckley
SOUTH Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa is writing to more than 11,000 constituents to get their views on plans for a 440-acre industrial park next to Hinckley.
Developer DB Symmetry wants to build what is being called the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) on land between the Hinckley to Leicester railway line at Elmesthorpe and M69.
Road access would be created via a new slip road at Junction 2 of the motorway.
The plans include a rail freight terminal and a 1.5 million square foot warehouse, which would be bigger than any other premises in the county.
It is thought the scheme could create about 8,400 jobs, with the 14-warehouse industrial estate operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Last year, DB Symmetry won planning permission for 3 million sq ft of warehousing a few miles along the A5 at Magna Park, Lutterworth, following a big public campaign against those plans.
The Hinckley scheme is still at the pre-application stage with an application potentially going in next spring.
Mr Costa is sending 11,000 surveys about the plans to residents in the villages of Elmesthorpe, Stoney Stanton, Sapcote, Sharnford, Huncote, Croft, Aston Flamville, Pottters Marston, Wigston Parva and Thurlaston.
They can be posted back to him at one of several “MP Survey Return Boxes” set up across the area.
Mr Costa said some residents had told him they were worried about the impact of such a massive development.
He said: “The proposals for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange are, if given the go-ahead, likely to have a hugely significant impact on the neighbouring villages, hence why I am issuing this survey to seek my constituent’s views on these plans.
“While the development has long been a matter of concern to some residents, I have further concerns that these proposals have not been as well publicised as they perhaps could have been, so the survey will also be asking constituents if they’re aware of the plans in question and what their views on this are.
“It’s absolutely imperative that residents have all the information they need regarding a development of this size and scale.
“I am very grateful to the local district councillors of the Fosse Villages in helping to prepare this survey and to the parish councils for their cooperation. “Clearly this is an issue of concern to residents, and understandably so, the burden on local infrastructure could be huge unless proper considerations are made, and so this is an opportunity for constituents to have their voices heard and to try to shape these plans for the better if they are indeed given the go ahead by the relevant Secretary of State.”
Blaby District chairman and Stanton and Flamville district councillor Iain Hewson said it was important to hear the views of residents.
He said: “At the moment, people are very worried about the level of transport that could come into the site, and the capacity of local roads to deal with vehicles if the plans were to be approved. As councillors we always work very closely with Alberto and his team, and it’s important that constituents take the time to complete this survey and let our MP know about the issues that really matter to them in the villages near the development.”
Completed surveys can be returned up until Thursday, August 1. DB Symmetry want to use the railway line because of its significance on a national freight route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton. They said it was also well placed to provide direct links to and from major cargo terminals at Southampton, Liverpool and the Humber estuary.
VIEWS WANTED ON PROPOSAL FOR RAIL FREIGHT HUB AND INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
People are very worried about the level of transport that could come into the site