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The mega rail freight depot. Near to Castle Donington a HUGE rail depot is planned on farming land. It's larger than Castle Donington itself. Better sites exist, and Network Rail does not have the money for it. Even more planning madness.
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Much of the planning for this development is done in secret. The planners’ preferred site is in between Castle Donington and the M1, next to Hemington & Lockington. Its construction would entail closing the M1 for a considerable time. |
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This would destroy farmland, involve the closure of at least one farm, and bring noise and extra pollution to the area. It is surely better to focus on the use of existing industrial sites, if the depot is needed.
But is it needed ?
Information from the government’s Network Rail business is scarce, as usual. It I reported that Network Rail does not have the funds to construct the depot. So why are property owners suffering from planning blight already because of this ?
A streamlined system is needed to establish first if the depot is needed, and if the case is a strong one, to consider all sites and rail link plans that would not involve damage to village life and to existing farms and Greenfield sites.
Soon the UK may have no farms, if this planning madness continues. We have to draw the line and put the onus on officials to do their job more effectively, and not just choose the option which is the easiest administratively. It is people’s lives they are playing with. |
