Representation by Izzy Baird
- Date submitted
- 11 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am opposed to this proposed project. I am deeply concerned about the impact of this rail hub on the local area. Tritax representatives were not able to answer questions about how they plan to deal with the increased amount of traffic that will result from opening the M69 in both directions to the local roads and the impact on villages of this extra traffic. These local roads are not equipped to deal with extra traffic and it is inevitable that non rail hub traffic wanting to get onto the M69 will use the main road through Sapcote to do so when coming from that side of the motorway. This road is extremely narrow in places including where there is a school crossing, a junction and a bend in the same spot. Tritax representatives were also not able to say why this hub is actually needed when there is Magna Park, many business parks in nearby Northamptonshire and others closer to East Midlands airport. I was merely told this hub would supply the north?! Their argument was the hub will bring jobs to locals when I believe employment rates are about 96% in the area, so again workers will be coming from elsewhere creating more traffic. Their argument about the hub taking more lorries off the roads also seems unfounded to me...surely lorries need to load and unload goods at the hub? Finally, we are in a climate emergency. Given what appears to be a badly thought out proposal, why are we destroying more swathes of land for something that appears to be not needed?