Brackley firms 'up in arms' about F1 team's HQ entrance plan

Simon Wheeler, managing director of Canonbury Products Ltd, said businesses in the area were "up in arms"

Businesses near the headquarters of an F1 team said they were worried about plans to move its main staff entrance.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas wants to relocate its principal access point to St James Road in Brackley, which is occupied by several small firms.

The companies said their road would be inundated by traffic, which could increase tenfold.

The Northamptonshire-based F1 team said concerns had "been reviewed" to ensure "the least possible impact".

Many grand prix victories have been managed from the Brackley headquarters

The multiple world championship-winning team is planning to expand its operation in Brackley and could see its workforce increase from 1,400 to 1,900 over the next five years.

It has applied to extend its site to include buildings for marketing and wellbeing, as well as an extra car park for 659 vehicles.

The team wants staff to be able to use St James Road as their main access at peak times. The access point will replace the entrance currently in use on Lauda Drive.

Council officials estimate the number of cars turning into St James Road would increase from 57 to 528 during the morning peak.

Simon Wheeler, managing director of Canonbury Products Ltd on St James Road, said: "Everyone is up in arms about the idea of this happening, because at the moment we all have fairly unfettered access into this premises which means we have no issues getting staff or commercial vehicles in."

Filip Domozych (left), general manager, and Przemyslaw Polak (right), director of Jeep-chrysler.co.uk, are worried about extra traffic delaying deliveries

Jeep-chrysler.co.uk, which specialises in American car parts, also relies on access to its loading bay on St James Road and is worried about extra traffic delaying deliveries.

Its director, Przemyslaw Polak, said: "There's not much we can do actually - they are a powerful company. We just don't understand the idea of putting it along this road if they can reorganise it so that it wouldn't affect anyone."

A spokesperson for Mercedes-AMG Petronas said: "The concerns raised by the specialist highways consultant employed by one of the local businesses have been reviewed to ensure that the proposed works have the least possible impact on the business.

"In addition to this we will be enhancing the local footpaths and cycle paths around our site entrance, adding a new pedestrian crossing to the Oxford Road and undertaking works to the roads to aid traffic flows."

A decision will be made about the application on 9 January.