The Secretary of State is minded to refuse this application, subject to further information or evidence from the Applicant on a number of specific issues. To allow time for the Applicant to submit further information by 10 December 2024 and to allow for consultation on further information with Interested Parties, the Secretary of State has set a new deadline of 10 March 2025 for her decision on this application.
On Tuesday 10th September, both Alberto Costa MP and Dr Luke Evans MP spoke in a Westminster Hall debate about the impact this rail hub would have on local communities.
You can see some of the highlights from the Westminster Hall debate here [insert link].
Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire said:
“The Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation gives this new Labour Government the opportunity to respond to local people’s concerns and calm the nerves thousands of people in Leicestershire who continue to anxiously await confirmation that this inappropriate development will be rejected.”
“The Planning Inspectorate rightly highlights unresolved concerns relating to highway safety risks, inadequate traffic modelling by the applicant and the impact on the Aston Firs Travellers site as well as the impact on Narborough Level Crossing.”
“I welcome the recommendation of Planning Inspectorate that the Secretary of State should withhold consent, given that the proposed development would bring substantial risks to the village of Sapcote and the wider road network, along with damaging the local landscape.”
“As result the Planning Inspectorate have rightly highlighted that the harm that this proposal would do outweighs any benefits to the local area.”
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said:
“I cautiously welcome the new Transport Secretary’s decision to give greater consideration to the proposed Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange, but I’m pleased to see that she is ‘minded to refuse consent’.
"Both myself and Alberto Costa (as MPs for the area), local councils, statutory bodies, environmental groups and residents have raised serious concerns about the lasting and material impact of the proposal and the information given by the developer during the Planning Inspectorate’s examination.
"It’s as clear to me as it is to the public that the consequences locally far outweigh any proposed national benefits, especially when considering the concerns around the information and the basis being used to justify the proposal.
"I am pleased to see that the Secretary of State is inclined to agree.
"Alberto Costa and I will be working to find out what further information the Transport Secretary is seeking.
"As ever, I will keep our community updated when I hear more."
