House of Commons · Westminster Hall
14 June 2022 · 5 other contributors · 4,060 words
Opened by Alberto Costa Con South Leicestershire
Responding minister: Wendy Morton
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Alberto Costa raised concerns about hinckley national rail freight interchange in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The MP asks for urgent scrutiny of the plans, fair consideration of local opposition, and a national framework policy on siting rail freight interchanges to avoid overburdening rural areas. He requests a meeting with the Minister and stakeholders to discuss these concerns.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The MP is concerned about the proposed Hinckley rail freight interchange, which would cover an area of 440 acres and bring significant HGV traffic to the Fosse villages. The project poses environmental threats near a Site of Special Scientific Interest and will increase road congestion in already overburdened areas. There are existing nearby logistics parks and rail freight interchanges that raise questions about the necessity of this new development.
A strategic rail freight interchange is under construction in South Northamptonshire, but it borders residential areas and does not have the promised rail links. Constituents are concerned that the development will turn into more logistics warehousing.
The MP emphasises the environmental impact of the proposed interchange near Burbage Common, which is home to various rare species. She highlights that this development will overburden local infrastructure and roads.
The MP agrees with the concerns raised about environmental impact and infrastructure burden, stressing the need for a national framework policy to site rail freight interchanges strategically. He advocates against overburdening the Midlands.
Agrees that there needs to be a national strategy for rail freight exchanges to achieve net-zero goals while protecting communities. Highlights a survey where 96% of respondents were against the proposal. The consultations conducted by Tritax Symmetry have raised real concerns, and there are complaints about the way these consultations were carried out. The MP also asked if there will be a strategy for the location of rail freight interchanges as part of the plan being brought forward.
Suggests that the proposal for a rail freight interchange should not be permitted without the complete dualling of the A5 road, given the expected traffic volume from HGVs. The MP supports his colleague's concerns about the level crossing at Narborough, which is already a point of inconvenience for local residents and would be severely impacted if the interchange proposal proceeds. The intervention was to ask the Minister about guarantees regarding the provision of a rail freight terminal following an application, questioning whether granting an application would indeed result in such provisions being made despite previous cases where this has not been the case.
Government Response
Wendy MortonWhat a pleasure it is to serve under your chairmanship today in Westminster Hall, Sir Edward. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Alberto Costa) for securing this important debate on proposals for the Hinckley national rail freight interchange, which is currently at pre-application stage. I appreciate the contributions of my hon. Friends and encourage them to engage in the formal DCO process to ensure their views are considered. The Government recognise the benefits of rail freight in reducing carbon emissions and supporting economic growth. On average, a rail freight train emits around a quarter of the carbon dioxide emissions of a heavy goods vehicle per tonne per kilometre travelled. Rail freight provides £2.5 billion in economic and social benefits to the country annually, with 90% accruing outside London and the southeast. The Government are committed to supporting rail freight growth through various measures including an investment of £235 million in improving capacity and capability for rail freight during 2014-2019. Additionally, a freight grant scheme provides £20 million annually, expected to remove the equivalent of 900,000 heavy goods vehicles from roads, saving 52,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Strategic rail freight interchanges (SRFIs) are key to building resilient supply chains. The national networks national policy statement supports an expanded network of SRFIs if they are operationally and commercially viable, with developers needing to comply with statutory requirements for consultation before applications can be accepted by the Planning Inspectorate. Local authorities and communities have the right to be involved during examinations, including setting out their views in written representations. The process includes a six-month examination period by the Planning Inspectorate followed by three months for decision-making by the Secretary of State. If decisions cannot be issued on time, new deadlines will be set through parliamentary statements.