New consultation on plans for £750m rail freight hub
BBC- The Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) has been proposed for land between Leicester and Hinckley
- A final decision on whether to allow the scheme will be made by the government
- Residents have until 23 June to share feedback on the project
People have been urged to tell planning inspectors what they think of a proposed 662 acre (268 hectare) rail hub in Leicestershire.
Developer Tritax Symmetry wants to build the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) in countryside between the town and Leicester.
The government will have the final say on the £750m scheme, which is opposed by some local councillors, because it is deemed to be a project important to national infrastructure.
The Planning Inspectorate has launched a consultation which runs until 23 June, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Green space fears
A decision on whether it will be built is expected in 2024.
The HNRFI would include nine warehouses and a rail terminal able to handle up to 16 trains a day.
There would also be a new road access to the M69 motorway and a lorry park.
Tritax said the interchange would create more than 8,000 jobs, deliver more than £70m of infrastructure improvements in the area, and cut lorry journeys on the roads by 300,000 annually.
The interchance would sit largely within Blaby District Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council's boundaries and both authorities have warned it will swallow up a huge area of green space.
They have also said they believe nearby roads will be unable to cope with lorry traffic using the hub.
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