Leicestershire: Calls to pause discussions on Hinckley rail park

The development is proposed by the existing Leicester to Hinckley railway line

A council leader has called for a pause in discussions to decide whether a huge rail freight park will be built.

A six-month public examination of proposals for the £750m hub, near Hinckley, Leicestershire, began this week.

However, Blaby District Council leader Terry Richardson said there was a lack of detail about predicted lorry traffic created by the park.

He has urged the Planning Inspectorate to temporarily halt the proceedings,

Campaigners believe the scheme is too big and in the wrong place

Mr Richardson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he wanted more time so Tritax Symmetry, the developer behind the proposed Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange, could provide extra information about the routes HGVs heading to the development would use.

He said: "Adequate information has not been supplied. We have grave concerns to the extent we don't see how it is possible for them to carry on with this examination with so much information missing.

"The roads and highways will always be a major concern. Without understanding the full issue, you can't then work out what would be adequate mitigation.

"If you look at the villages - particularly of Sapcote, Stoney Stanton - if lorries were to go through the centre of those, there will be disasters happening."

The government will have the final say on the warehouse scheme, earmarked for 662 acres (268 hectares) of farmland, south of Elmesthorpe and next to the Leicester to Hinckley railway line and the M69, as it is deemed to be important to national infrastructure.

Robert Jackson, lead member of the panel overseeing the examination, said any gaps in information provided would be factored into its final recommendation to Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

He also said further information had been submitted to the examination by Tritax this week.

Tritax has been contacted for comment.