Parish Council chairman welcomes Rail Freight hub refusal

The Chairman of Burbage Parish Council, Cllr David Bill, has welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State for Transport to refuse planning consent for a national rail freight interchange to be built near Junction 2 of the M69, close to Burbage Common.

Speaking after the announcement, made on Monday (March 11), Cllr Bill said: "As it is about 7 years since I was warned this was coming it has come as a great relief that it is finally all over. It is testament to so many people who have made their feelings known and who took an active part in objecting to this unloved and unwanted scheme, many of whom are no longer with us.

"The promoters of the scheme have only themselves to blame as they failed to engage with the public during the prolonged consultative engagements they carried out and at the hearings last year failing to adequately answer the technical questions put to them by the Planning Inspector or the Secretary of State who gave them extra time to come up with acceptable responses to the adverse impacts which we would all have to endure.

"Many people were involved over the years in drawing attention to these problems but we should all be particularly grateful to the highways team at the County Council who were consistent and incisive with their evidence in relation to the additional traffic issues we would all have to face at Junction 21 of the M1 and other pinch points on the system.

"Our next challenge as we move on will be to try to persuade the Government that action has to be taken to tackle the worsening traffic problems affecting the Hinckley area and the approaches to the M1 and Leicester. The evidence that action is needed is laid out in the Secretary of State's report for all to see."