Blow for campaigners as warehouse hub gets go-ahead

More than 2,600 locals had submitted objections to the new application

Campaigners fighting a contentious warehouse scheme in a Leicestershire village suffered a huge blow after the project was given the green light.

Plans for the Enderby Logistics Hub were first put forward about a decade ago, and residents have battled against it since.

Blaby District Council’s planning committee defied the advice of their own planning department and rejected a plan in October.

But on Thursday evening, councillors approved a new proposal, which was put forward in February.

Residents' concerns have included the loss of a green space, the impact on the road network and subsequent impact on wildlife.

Councillor Hannah Gill, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of residents in her Enderby ward, said: “The second [application] has gathered even more objections than the first.

"The council's Local Plan states that it will protect green space – this application is asking to build on the last bit of green space between the city and St Johns.

“An extra 1,600 cars daily, along with heavy goods vehicles, will only make the roads worse."

Objectors

A representative from applicants The Drummond Estate told the committee that “the highway implications of the development would not be severe”.

They added that it would provide “significant investment” in to the local economy.

The initial application, which was submitted in 2019, would have seen four large logistics warehouses and a training centre built on the site off St Johns, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) previously.

The new plan no longer proposes a training centre, but instead includes three general industrial buildings in addition to the original four.

Five councillors backed councillors’ recommendation to approve the development, while four elected members voted against the project.

A total of 2,699 representations from members of the public were made to the council on the scheme, of which 2,660 were objectors.

Local campaign group Snub the Hub also submitted a petition against the scheme that had 753 signatures, said the LDRS.

Additional reporting from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

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