Warehouses ‘would take last piece of green space’
VILLAGERS FEAR THE IMPACT OF PLANS FOR LOGISTICS HUB
VILLAGERS have objected in their hundreds to plans for a huge development on their doorstep.
They say the proposed Enderby Logistics Hub would overwhelm the roads and that the proposed site is one of the last green spaces left between Enderby and Leicester.
Under the plans, first submitted by Drummond Estate and The Inverock Trust in 2019, four warehouses would be built on 80 acres of fields off Leicester Lane.
Councillor Cheryl Cashmore, who represents the village on Blaby District Council and resident Joanne Leyland were out in the village raising opposition to the hub as a public consultation came to an end yesterday.
They said almost 1,100 people had registered their opposition.
Ms Leyland said: “People are shocked that such a huge development could be imminent without them even knowing about it. It’s just the sheer shock that this could be so far down the line without anyone having had the chance to do anything about it.
“And then most people are just like ‘Oh, my God, the traffic is going to be horrendous.’
“Anybody who comes off the M69 or M1 knows how difficult it is to get on and off. It’s just served by one roundabout.
“That can only be made worse by a logistics hub where all the lorries and the employees’ cars, if they’re coming down the motorway, will have to come off at that junction. The entrance and exit of the logistics hub will be on Leicester Lane, which is a single-lane road.
“It is going to be just one entrance in and one exit out both onto a single-lane road. That will cause substantial tailbacks.
“This isn’t going to be just during the day, it’s going to be 24 hours a day with lorries in and out and people working as well.”
Councillor Cashmore added: “That’s one of the major concerns, especially in the area I’ve been door-knocking. They are looking out onto the proposed development so they are all worried about the impact the lights will have on them.
“It’s got the old Fosse Way that runs through it as well, the old Roman road. It is a popular place for people to dog walk, there’s a lot of wildlife there as well.
“There are badgers, lots of different species of birds. So from that point of view people are worried about where this wildlife is going to go. It floods as well - it’s referred to by local people as Enderby lake because it’s permanently flooded.”
The two campaigners feel their part of Blaby district has already had more than its fair share of developments, including Fosse Park and Everard Meadows. Their research has shown 15 out of 48 warehouses within 11 miles of the proposed development currently stand empty.
Ms Leyland said: “The hub has been in the pipeline for years and our opinion is that the landscape has changed quite a bit in the past four or five years. We’ve had such a lot of development with Fosse Park being extended and Everards Meadows, we just feel now that Enderby has had enough.
“We’ve got no infrastructure, the road cannot cope with the amount of traffic and it’s the last bit of green space we’ve got before we get to all the commercial units and then to the city. It won’t just affect Enderby, it will affect all villages south of Fosse Park.
“They are saying it will increase jobs for local people, but Enderby has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the area.”
Coun Cashmore added: “I know people appreciate the fact we are a desired location, we’re near the motorway, but it’s also supposed to be a village. It feels now we’re becoming a bit of a dumping ground. Like ‘there’s a little bit of ground, go and build on that.’ We just can’t cope with more.”
A spokesman for the developers said: “The proposals have been designed with support from Blaby District Council, Leicestershire County Highways nd National Highways.
“Highways mitigation measures have been proposed by the county council and include road improvement schemes and a multi-million pound financial contribution package.
“The site was allocated in the Blaby Local Plan Delivery DPD in 2019 and the planning application was also submitted in 2019.
“Technical reports including ecology and flood risk, plus all drawings, have all been submitted to Blaby District Council and are available to see on the council’s website.
“Any objections received are being carefully considered and responses sent to the district council.
“The development proposals will contribute significantly to local employment opportunities and economic growth in Blaby.”