Government 'minded to refuse' £750m freight hub

The planning inspectorate has expressed a number of concerns about the plan

The government says it is "minded to refuse" plans for a £750m rail hub, but has extended the decision deadline until March as further information is gathered.

Developer Tritax Symmetry is seeking to build the 662 acre (268 hectare) Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) in the Leicestershire countryside.

The announcement, made on Tuesday by the Department for Transport, has been "cautiously welcomed" by MPs and local authorities who are opposed to the scheme.

Tritax said it would "carefully consider the request for further information" and was looking forward to working to address any areas of concern.

Campaigners have highlighted the closeness of the freight park to Burbage Common

The HNRFI would be sited largely within the boundaries of Blaby District Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, but final approval of the scheme rests with the government, as the project is deemed to be of national importance.

Dr Luke Evans, MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, said he was "pleased to see" the secretary of state was minded to refuse the scheme.

Both he and Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire, have joined local councils, environmental groups and residents in raising concerns over the possible impact of the proposal.

Evans added: "It’s as clear to me as it is to the public that the consequences locally far outweigh any proposed national benefits, especially when considering the concerns around the information and the basis being used to justify the proposal."

Costa said the proposed development would bring "substantial risks" to the village of Sapcote and the wider road network, along with "damaging the local landscape".

“The planning inspectorate rightly highlights unresolved concerns relating to highway safety risks, inadequate traffic modelling by the applicant and the impact on the Aston Firs Travellers site as well as the impact on Narborough Level Crossing," he added.

'Environmentally disastrous'

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council said concerns had been raised over the "permanent blight" the development would have on Burbage Common.

In July, council leader Stuart Bray wrote to the Secretary of Transport, Louise Haigh and the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, inviting them to the area to showcase alternative growth opportunities and why the proposal "is so unpopular with local residents".

Mr Bray urged the secretary of state to "reject this unwanted proposal" and said that although it is "very encouraging" that the planning inspectorate is recommending that consent should not be given, he is "disappointed" that the "environmentally disastrous scheme" has not already been rejected.

Tritax previously said the interchange would create more than 8,000 jobs and deliver more than £70m of infrastructure improvements in the area.

A spokesperson said: "Tritax Symmetry remains committed to best in class, highly sustainable logistics development with rail freight connectivity a key driver of modal shift in the sector."