The Planning Inspectorate has declared that a plan for a National Rail Freight Interchange scheme to be established at Hinckley in Leicestershire should be scrutinised through a series of meetings and hearings.

The Inspectorate has confirmed that a schedule has been set for meetings and hearings, into the application, and this can be seen on the Planning Inspectorate ‘s website here.

The schedule includes both the dates of hearings and the deadlines for submission of written representations and further comments. Anyone who has registered as an interested party will be able to speak out at the hearings, which will be on an open floor basis and hearings for specific issues, and all those who have already submitted a Relevant Representation should have already been registered.

All those who are already registered and who wish to speak should notify the Planning Inspectorate of their intention by Tuesday, 10 October, and an explanation of how to do this is under a ‘Rule 8′ letter on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Sessions are to be held on the following dates:

• Monday, 30 October (evening) – open floor hearing;
• Tuesday, 31 October – issue specific hearing on traffic and transport;
• Wednesday, 1 November – issue specific hearing on environmental matters;
• Wednesday, 1 November – issue specific hearing on the need for the development and socio-economic matters;
• Thursday, 2 November (morning) – open floor hearing.

Tritax Symmetry has submitted the plan for the interchange to be constructed on a 662-acres site in open countryside south-west of Elmesthorpe, with a planned completion date of 12 March 2024.. However, Since it was first proposed, Blaby District Council has warned that it would have a significant negative impact on the locality.

The proposed site is located between the M69 and the Leicester to Birmingham railway with areas for storing container and cranes to load and unload them from trains and lorries. The scheme includes up to 850,000sq m of warehouse and ancillary buildings, a lorry park, a new A47 link road, and southbound slip roads onto the M69.

Among the major concerns are:

• an increase in the times that Narborough level crossing will be closed;
• the potential impact of more lorries using the area’s rural roads and village routes;
• the visual impact of the site, with container stacks anticipated to be between 14m to 21m high and 30m-tall lighting columns;
• disturbance, as the site is planned to operate 24/7.

The worst-affect community would be Elmesthorpe, but the warehouses and railport could potentially be seen up to 4km away. Most of the site falls within Blaby District, but part of it lies within Burbage Common in Hinckley and Bosworth Borough. Blaby District Council as well as other local authorities and organisations are statutory consultees on the application and will continue to make relevant comments and raise issues during the process.

At the initial Planning Inspectorate meeting to discuss the proposed schedule, Blaby District Council Leader, Councillor Terry Richardson, expressed concerns about the lack of adequate information, and promised that the Council will continue to act in the best interests of residents and respond appropriately to specific proposals raised during the examination.

Councillor Richardson said: “We have raised concerns many times during the long process which has brought us to this stage where the rail freight scheme is scrutinised. At the preliminary meeting I called for a halt to the proceedings given the deficiencies in the application, the lack of detail and utter failure to account for so many significant negative impacts.

“However, the examination continues, despite what I believe has been a completely flawed and undemocratic consultation process to get to this point. So we must continue to respond as robustly as possible and make sure our fears about this project are heard. This is a huge development which would change the character of our District forever and not for the better.

“Again I urge all interested parties to take the opportunity to attend the Planning Inspectorate sessions, either in person or online, and make their own responses. This examination period and these early hearings give us a vital opportunity to speak out on any and all concerning elements.”