Representation by Elaine Grewcock
- Date submitted
- 15 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am a resident of 6 1/2 years of Elmesthorpe and feel I must express my concerns relating to the plans for a Rail Hub proposed very close to my village. Elmesthorpe is a very close knit community in a semi rural location with a single road i.e. Station Road Elmesthorpe going through the middle of the village. There is no alternative to access the properties, we have no buses, no shop, no doctors in the village so this narrow bendy road is the lifeline for residents. I personally suffer from Angina so if the only way to access Elmesthorpe becomes blocked it could become life threatening, there is no way emergency vehicles can assist myself or any of the residents in such a situation. Although we were assured by Trytax at the meetings I attended with them that. " This is a straight road with no bends and no extra vehicles will use this road" When asked to walk this road with me they refused to walk 100 yards from the village hall to see that two lorries coming in opposite directions will not be able to pass safely. This brings me to the very narrow footpaths along this road. I like many like to walk the many public routes around the village and to walk to the facilities at Earl Shilton. ( No bus alternative). For your information along Station Road Elmesthorpe the footpath are on one side of the road, less than a metre wide with a hedge next to the side. Walking single file it is not unusual to feel vehicle wing mirrors brush past you. Walking with a dog or assisting anyone along this path, is impossible and already considered extremely dangerous at the narrowest of points. At present villagers have become accomplished at dealing with the level of danger, whilst making representation to the local authority seeking improvements. Trytax continue to offer reassurances that their two access points will be the only ones used by employees and HGV's delivering to the Hub. Human nature suggests otherwise, for example the workforce coming from Hinckley, Barwell, Earl Shilton and outlying villages from the West have no alternative but to arrive at access point one, off the A47 via the A47 bypass. However work traffic from the East, Leicester, Blaby, Whetstone, Narborough and outlying villages will need to use the main Narborough Road. They can take the Stoney Stanton exit and on arriving at the mini island in the village have a choice, do they turn Left and join the work traffic leaving this village drive around three miles in which case they will be joined by traffic from Sharnford and Sapcote attempting to get to the site or to the M69 which is access point two and also provides access to Leicester City, M1 North and South. Or do they at the mini island just go straight ahead for around 3 miles the last 1/2 mile being dual carriageway straight into the site off the A47 bypass, this would take them through sleepy old Elmesthorpe with it's less volume of traffic and the odd cyclist or horse rider, Human nature would suggest the latter. This is not speculation on my part, this is 'deja vu'. When the planning for the housing development and A47 bypass in Earl Shilton where I grew up was at discussion and review process my mother,grandmother and auntie who had lived on Station Road in Earl Shilton for 60 years sought reassurance with other residents that traffic would not be using their Road as a 'Rat Run', short cut between Earl Shilton village and the bypass and vice versa. At each of these meetings with the local authorities they were given assurances that this would not be the case. It was suggested that there had been traffic assessments, planning had carried out evaluations and there would be no increase in traffic. History has proved otherwise. The volumes of traffic are now such that speed restrictions have had to be implemented. My family all passed away several years ago now but I urge the committee to consider the proposal carefully and carry out on the ground visits before allowing any further progress to proceed. This statement is not about roads it is about a lifeline which provides a quality of life that is worth saving.