Plans to create rail freight site near Burbage Common submitted

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have said they are committed to opposing these plans.

Developers Tritax Symmetry Limited have submitted their application to build the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) to the Planning Inspectorate.

The Planning Inspectorate have until the 6th of March to decide whether to accept the application.

If the application is accepted, the Planning Inspectorate will begin assessing the developer’s plans.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council now has 14 days to respond to the Planning Inspectorate consultation to say whether it believes Tritax Symmetry ran an adequate consultation on the plans.

If the Planning Inspectorate accept that the application can proceed to Examination, there will then be an opportunity for the public to get involved during an expected six-month-long examination phase, including public hearings, which should take place later this year; a decision is expected by the middle of next year.

The plans show the site on land between the M69 and the Leicester to Birmingham railway line,  close to Junction 2 of the M69 to the north of Burbage Common.

Due to the size of the proposed development, it is classed as a “Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project” and any decision will be made by the Secretary of State for Transport after the Planning Inspectorate makes the recommendation following the Examination.

Chair of the HNRFI Working Group for the Borough Council, Councillor Paul Williams said: “Officers and councillors will carefully scrutinise the developer’s proposals and expect to comment comprehensively on the scale, scope and impact of the scheme.

“If the application is accepted, we remain deeply concerned about the huge environmental impact this will have on Burbage Common and particularly the impact on the local area of the anticipated up to 16 freight trains a day with the consequential associated 50,000 daily HGV movements on the local area and I know this concerns local residents too. We remain committed to opposing these plans.”