Plans to build a 2.9 million sq foot warehouse in the Leicestershire countryside have been approved by councillors.
Calls of “shame on you” came from the public gallery as North West Leicestershire District Council’s planning committee gave permission for the warehouse which will be home to Jaguar Land Rover’s global logistics hub.
The car giant hopes to be running its new campus near to junction 11 of the M42 at Appleby Magna, south of Ashby, by 2023.
Concerns about the environment, wildlife, traffic and visual impact were raised by residents and villagers but members went with the officers’ recommendations to approve the plans after an intense two-and-a-half hour meeting.
David Smith, planning director from IM Properties said: “We are extremely pleased to have secured permission for such an important new global facility for Jaguar Land Rover, which will ensure the company’s long-term commitment to the UK. It is the culmination of our team’s considerable efforts to date.”
Kevin Ashfield UK development director at IM Properties said, “Agreeing to a 20-year lease shows a huge commitment and the company’s investment will contribute an additional £139 million GVA per year to the local economy.”
Councillor Nigel Smith, chairman of North West Leicestershire District Council’s Planning Committee, said: “This has been an emotive and challenging planning application which has sparked lots of passion and interest in the community.
“As a committee we must assess all applications against material planning considerations, planning legislation and guidance and our own Local Plan.
“This development fits within these considerations and promises to be a significant boost for the local economy and levels of employment.
“Our planning officers will now continue to work with the developers and the local community as this plan moves forward to the construction phase.”
During the meeting Councillor Dan Harrison, for Appleby Magna, said: “There is talk of 3,500 staff.
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“On a three-shift system there will be 1,000 clocking off as another 1,000 clocking in, and then there’s the 1,200 HGV movements we’re told there will be. They’re not all going to turn up on buses, they’re not all going to cycle in. That is one of my core concerns.
“Everywhere is going to be jammed.”
Councillor Richard Blunt, urging councillors to refuse the spare parts distribution complex, added: “I’m here today to keep the fields green and fight excessive development.
“This is lazy planning. Clever planning would be to put this on a brown field site in Birmingham. Clever planning would be putting this building close to better rail links.”
Darren Grealy, on behalf of Stretton en le Field Parish Council said: “The valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty.”
Councillor John Legrys asked about the wildlife on the site. Mr Grealy said the larks are unique to the site. Gina Speakman, from Residents Against Project Mercia, said 11 species of bats were identified on the site, four of them rare.
Concerns over access to the site and public transport were echoed by others. A planning officer said the site will have two access points but is “not currently well served by public transport” but the employer plans to provide a bus service, travel packs and bus passes to limit the number of cars heading to the site.
The development will be the car giant's global hub for sending spare parts to customers in the UK and 80 countries around the world.
Jaguar Land Rover wants to centralise the work currently done at 10 warehouses dotted around the Midlands.
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Jaguar Land Rover said the new 'super' parts facility would be run by a third party but that it was too early to say who.
The West Midlands car maker hopes to begin transferring operations to the new facility in early 2022 with it fully operational by early 2023.
It is in the middle of a £2.5 billion cost-saving programme, and recently said it was delaying plans to launch a multi-million pound technology park in Coventry .
IM Properties said they will introduce a transport strategy and improve accessibility to the site, while landscaping will include planting more than 30,000 trees, creating up to 30 acres of new woodland as well as paths, cycleways and a wetland area.
