Representation by John Palmer
- Date submitted
- 20 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Main impacts are noise and light pollution, traffic congestion, deterioration of the local green space around Hinckley. This development is less than 800m from residential properties, from our property, we can hear trains passing and their warning horns, especially at night in warmer periods when we have our windows open, this is not an intrusion as it is an occasional drone noise and these services stop later in the evening. Rail freight operations are noisy, there is 'clanking and banging' from trains compressing and stretching when they stop and start, the engine noise of a heavy freight train pulling a large load is also a magnitude higher than a passing commuter train at constant speed. The loading and unloading of containers is also a lot of metal on metal sharp intrusive sound. This noise pollution would mean, even if trains were limited to 0700-2300 each day, that residents would never be able to have a lie in or go to bed earlier than 2300 as there would be no chance of sleeping through that kind of incidental, high pitch noise intrusion. In the summer residents would not be able to have windows open due to this noise intrusion, during hot weather it would be a hobsons choice, to open windows to allow cooler air in and be disturbed by the RFT, or keep windows closed and be too hot to rest. This running 7 days a week would provide no respite or quiet time either, which would I believe have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of local residents affected by the noise pollution this poorly situated development would have. The landscaping proposed will be ineffectual in deflecting any sound as the background Db's in the area of Hinckley affected is very low and sound deflection by using landscaping is ineffective for the type of noise this development will cause. Light pollution. The area where the RFT is proposed is rural, there is little light pollution currently, with such tall buildings proposed and the light generally used in these developments would make our residential area, like day time 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, without respite. We would no longer be able to enjoy the amenity afforded to us when we purchased our homes, no longer would we be able to enjoy the stars in the night sky. The light levels have never been shared by the developer, despite being asked what the background Lumens will be at 800M from the boundary of the development. I assume this has not been provided as the local area will be like daytime 24 hours a day. The developer was also asked IF operations were limited to 0700-2300 would the lights at the RFT be switched off between 2301-0659, no response was provided to this question. Therefore one must assume there are no plans for operations to be considerate to local residents. Traffic congestion. The junction changes to M69 J2 will create greater throughput of traffic through the proposed link roads and the B4669 with not only HGV's but other road users being able to exit South onto the M69, as well as exit from M69 northbound onto the B4669. The B4669 and this end of Hinckley is not equipped for the traffic levels currently, to enable commuters and others to increase the use of the B4669 will create traffic chaos. The proposed link road between the development and Leicester road will also provide additional traffic congestion, noise and light intrusion to residents of Olympic way and Leicester road. Employment levels in Hinckley are very high, with less than 4% unemployment, Hinckley already has and is surrounded by warehousing, the local workforce is not sufficient, nor of the right skill set to support another large warehouse complex, this will mean that most of the employees will have to travel to site, increasing traffic volumes and therefore congestion and environmental impact. DIRFT is only 10 or so miles away from Hinckley, which is already an International Rail Freight terminal. It would make more logical sense to create a branch line to that location from the Peterborough-Birmingham line than create ANOTHET RFT within 10 miles of an existing one. DIRFT connects to Nuneaton therefore there are tracks in place, with some relatively small additions to fulfil Tritax Symmetry's desire to have an RFT on the East/West mainline. DIRFT also is not so close to residential developments as the HRFT is proposed to be, therefore impact on communities is likely to be lessened, if expansion of that site were needed. Impact on Green space and the environment - The proposed area is a huge chunk of local farmland, it abuts to Burbage common and woods, the edge of which would now be industrial warehousing and rail freight loading facilities. There is precious little enough green space around Hinckley, without destroying more of it for warehousing. There are no wildlife corridors in the RFT development proposals, the loss of habitat will have a negative impact on pollenators, as well as wildlife, there are muntjac deer, which use Burbage common and woods and the local woodland and farmland as their habitat, which would be blocked and likely diminish their numbers significantly if there is no safe passage for them to roam from woodland to woodland. The modified M69 junction and additional trunk road would create hard barriers for wildlife diminishing diversity and populations. In a time where we are in environmental crisis, using green field sites for developments of this magnitude flies in the face of the climate emergency were are facing. Before long Hinckley will be completely surrounded by warehousing, there is already warehousing on the A5, at Sketchley meadows, just off the A5 south of Hinckley, the southwest is the only part of Hinckley not hemmed in by warehousing. I am also disappointed that Leicestershire does not have protected Green belt, unlike Warwickshire, which as a county appears to be able to use that status to push industrial type developments into Leicestershire, which has no such protections. I understand the concept of the 'golden triangle' in terms of logistics, however there are also areas of the country that are hugely under invested in, with far higher levels of unemployment, which would benefit far more than Leicestershire, which is already awash with warehousing and logistics facilities.