RESIDENTS who will be affected by plans to build a massive rail freight interchange near Castle Donington have vowed to do all they can to convince government planning inspectors that the scheme should not go ahead.
As reported in the Derby Telegraph earlier this month, plans for the East Midlands Gateway, a 250-acre distribution hub which developer Roxhill claims has the potential to create 7,000 jobs, have been referred to the Planning Inspectorate.
It wants to build the development on land bordering Castle Donington, Hemington, Lockington and Kegworth, north of East Midlands Airport and near to junction 24 of the M1.
The site, which would help move goods from the airport to other areas of the country by rail and then lorry, would boast improved transport links to the nearby M1, rail network and airport.
Effectively, it would operate like an inland port - with a freight terminal, which would receive up to 16 trains a day running on a new rail line connecting to the Castle Donington branch line, with space for container storage and lorry parking.
It would also have 557,414 sq metres of warehousing and a number of ancillary buildings.
During Roxhill's initial consultation, residents living nearby expressed fears that their villages would be overwhelmed by the development, claiming it would create an eyesore, congestion and noise.
But the developer said that as well as improving the surrounding road network, including a bypass at Kegworth and improvements to junction 24 of the M1, the site would be "strategically landscaped".
Residents and parish councils who oppose the development now have until November 3 to register their objections.
Among those who will be doing so is the J24 Action Group, an organisation formed by local residents who are calling for the scheme to be rejected.
Action group member and local resident Steve Haberfield said he will be writing to the Planning Inspectorate opposing the development.
He said: "The development will destroy over 600 acres of valuable farmland and associated wildlife habitats which will be lost forever.
"The increase in road traffic will bring even more noise and pollution to an already congested area.
"Furthermore, the proposed changes to the road infrastructure around junction 24 of the M1 will cause massive disruption to traffic for a considerable time and will have significant adverse effects on the local economy.
"The site will operate 24/7 adding significantly to current noise/light pollution levels in the region.
"I also believe that the 7,000 jobs estimation is exaggerated. With low unemployment in this region these jobs will be largely filled by workers travelling into this region, adding even more to the road congestion.
"This development is simply not needed. We already have the East Midlands Distribution Centre at Castle Donington. This has had over 500,000 sq ft of spare capacity which has remained unlet for several years.
"And we believe the importance of the site being located next to East Midlands Airport is vastly overstated. Air freight pre-dominantly deals in small packaging, whereas the proposed development will specifically focus on the large packaging marketplace."
A decision is expected by the end of next year or early 2016.
