Representation by KATHRYN ROONEY
- Date submitted
- 15 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As a resident of Narborough, I have grave concerns about the impact this proposal will have on Narborough and Littlethorpe villages due to the number of freight trains that will be passing through the village. Narborough level crossing has been identified on the local BBC news as one of the most dangerous crossings in the East Midlands and the village already struggles to deal with the traffic congestion with cars frequently queuing as far back as the B4114 due to the trains. The increase in air and noise pollution will have a negative impact on the well being and mental health of the local residents. The villages will become grid locked due to the number of additional freight trains passing through and their large size. The current train service will be effected and there will be even more delays and cancellations, denying local people access to public transport. This proposal will also have a negative impact on disabled people trying to commute between the two villages because it will be impossible for them to climb the steps while the barriers are down blocking the footpath. Likewise, families with young children in pushchairs will be unable to gain access from Littlethorpe to Narborough and vice versa. Children who live in Littlethorpe attend the local primary school in Narborough and if the parents have younger children in a push chair, how will they be able to access the schools and other amenities when the barriers are down and they are unable to climb the steps of the footbridge? Furthermore, not all cyclists will be able to carry their bicycles over the bridge so they will be inconvenienced by the additional numbers of large trains trundling through Narborough. The attitude of the representatives at the Consultation Meeting was unacceptable and they showed no concern for the impact this proposal will have on the local residents and businesses, making the two villages almost inaccessible to other forms of transport and pedestrians. The proposal to build over hundreds of acres of green belt land is not at all environmentally friendly. Why do we need this additional storage space when we already have nearby large storage depots at Magna Park and Hinckley? The number of construction vehicles required to build these units will negatively impact on the surrounding villages causing congestion on the country lanes and an increase in air and noise pollution. This is an ill thought out scheme which rather than reduce carbon emissions, will destroy the countryside and introduce more traffic to the local villages when large transport vehicles access the lorry park. There must be a more environmentally friendly and acceptable way to introduce such a scheme in an area which does not raise so many health and safety issues.