The developer behind plans for a huge rail freight hub outside Hinckley is yet to pin down when residents will be able to have their say.

DB Symmetry announced two months ago an extra round of informal consultations to look at highways improvements for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (NRFI).

It said that the second round of consultations would take place between May and July 2019.

After several requests from LeicestershireLive in the weeks leading up to May for a firm date, the group has now released a fresh statement.

A spokesperson said: “In response to the feedback received to the first informal consultation stage, a further round of informal consultation focusing on options for off-site highways improvements will be held in Summer 2019.

“Once we have confirmed dates for the consultation we will be notifying stakeholders, residents and the local press.”

There are plans for a rail hub, industrial estate and new junction for M69 near Hinckley. Picture: Google Street View

Planners want to create a 440-acre industrial park between the Hinckley to Leicester railway line and the M69 motorway, with access via a new slip road to be built on Junction 2 of the motorway.

It is thought the venture could create some 8,400 jobs, with the 14-warehouse industrial estate operating 24 hours a day seven days a week.

The second round of consultations will involve a series of local events at locations accessible to residents of Blaby district, where the rail hub will be located, as well as for people in Hinckley and Bosworth.

As part of the initial informal consultation , DB Symmetry put the plans on display at a series of events from October to November 2018.

A formal consultation was set to take place this spring but this has now been put back for later in the year.

Wide criticism

The plans have attracted widespread opposition from the district and parish councils in the area.

Councillor Stuart Bray, the newly-elected leader of the now Liberal Democrat-controlled Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said he will continue the authority’s opposition to the proposals.

He said: “We are going to oppose as strongly as we can the depot, because it’s going to have a detrimental impact on Burbage Common and local roads.

“We could end up with a rail freight depot operating 24/7. We all know how bad the roads are, especially in Burbage; this will only make things worse.”

Councillor Stuart Bray, leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

The council has been working on a response to the plans for several months, with previous council leader Mike Hall pledging to ‘stop this in its tracks’.

Blaby District Council leader Terry Richardson said that he would be unlikely to back the plans , as they would have a negative impact on many residents.

He warned that increased rail movements could affect traffic levels, especially at the automated crossing at Narborough.

The plans were also criticised in an article by rail expert Chris Milner, of Railway Magazine, who was concerned the proposal would be pushed through with little regard to resident's views.

Owing to the size of the project and its national importance, the Government Planning Inspectorate gets the final say on its approval.

A plan of the rail terminal

Mr Milner also queried why four rail hubs, including the Hinckley project next to Junction 2 of the M69, are planned within 50 miles of each other, and said that in a few years they would most likely be road served.

Residents urged to respond

People in Hinckley and Bosworth were previously urged by the council to attend the consultation events.

A spokesperson said: “Residents should attend the consultation events that DB Symmetry hold, and make representations directly to them so that these comments can be taken in to account during preparation of the application.

“All the information about these events, and the ability to make comments can be found at www.hinckleynrfi.co.uk.

“Residents can of course also raise their concerns with their ward borough councillors to inform them.”

Plans for a rail hub, industrial estate and new junction for M69 near Burbage and Hinckley

DB Symmetry said that statutory consultation will follow the second round later in 2019, including “a fully reasoned response to the informal public consultation exercises”.

People in the area can find out about how the consultations will work by reading the Statement of Community Consultation on the Hinckley NRFI website, a document the developer put together with authorities in the area.

The borough council was sent drafts of the statement and officers made comments for consideration by DB Symmetry.