Jaguar Land Rover: Appleby Magna site plans approved

Work on the site could start next year

Plans for a Jaguar Land Rover distribution base on farmland in Leicestershire have been approved.

Developers say the 238-acre site at junction 11 of the M42 in Appleby Magna and surrounding villages will create about 3,000 jobs.

However, a campaign group fears it will cause residents to suffer and they will "gain absolutely nothing".

A North West Leicestershire District Council councillor said the authority had complied with legislation.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and DSV Logistics are the main companies hoping to move on to this site once developed.

Campaigners gathered outside the council building in protest against the plans

The application was approved by North West Leicestershire District Council to shouts of "shame on you".

Campaigner Peter Snelson said some jobs would be filled by people already working for JLR so there were not going to be thousands of vacancies for local people.

"We will get all of the pain. We'll get the visual intrusion, noise, light pollution, air pollution, nature taken away from us," he said.

"But the people in this area will gain absolutely nothing."

A campaign group said residents would "gain absolutely nothing" from the development

Chairman of the district council planning committee Nigel Smith said: "No highways authority objected to it and it complied with everything we need to comply with as a council.

"Not one statutory consultation came back and said 'no you can't do it'."

IM Properties (IMP) said the new facility, which would service 80 countries, would provide a major boost to the local economy with 1,200 positions at JLR needed from day one and 3,000 forecast by 2030.

Kevin Ashfield, from IMP, said: "Agreeing to a 20-year lease shows a huge commitment and the company's investment will contribute an additional £139 million GVA per year to the local economy."

JLR said it would consolidate work of 10 sites, cut their vehicle movements, and improve efficiency.

Work on the site could start in 2020 and completed in 2023.