New bypass call as Enderby traffic chaos ‘needs solutions’ warns …

An MP is calling for an urgent meeting with County Hall highways bosses to discuss ways to help Enderby [1] cope as a new logistics hub threatens even more traffic in one of the county’s busiest crossroads. With cars and lorries coming off the M1 and M69 for Leicester passing through and with Fosse Park at its heart, the roads around Enderby can be very busy. There’s almost daily congestion on the southbound M1 near junction 21 and the area could see four new warehouses built [2] under plans for the Enderby Logistics Hub.

So far, well over 1,000 residents have objected to the new warehouses. Now South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa [3] has asked for an urgent meeting with Leicestershire County Council [4] to discuss “much-needed” improvements to the local roads. Improvements could include the building of a new Enderby Relief Road.

The MP has also written to the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, to ask what help the government can provide in improving local infrastructure in Enderby and to assist in discussions over the proposed Enderby Relief Road. Mr Costa said, “Following a recent meeting with the two excellent district councillors for Enderby and St Johns, I have written to Leicestershire County Council in order to arrange an urgent meeting to discuss some much needed improvements in Enderby.

Enderby Logistics Hub – artist’s impression

“With the plans for the Enderby Logistics Hub on the horizon, it is quite clear that greater thought and consideration needs to be given to relieve congestion in and around Enderby and the previous proposals for an Enderby Relief Road would greatly help this. “It is unfair for my constituents in Enderby to suffer with congested roads, with local neighbourhoods often becoming rat runs, and therefore I hope to meet with the county council soon to discuss possible solutions and I have also written to the transport secretary to see what assistance the government can provide”.

A campaign opposing the warehouse scheme is being spearheaded by Councillor Cheryl Cashmore, who represents the village on Blaby District Council [6] and resident Joanne Leyland. Ms Leyland previously told LeicestershireLive: “Most people are just like ‘Oh my God, the traffic [7] is going to be horrendous’. Anybody who comes off the M69 or M1 knows how difficult it is to get on and off.

It’s just served by one roundabout. “That can only be made worse by a logistics hub where all the lorries and the employees’ cars, if they’re coming down the motorway, will have to come off at that junction. The entrance and exit of the logistics hub will be on the Leicester Lane, which is a single-lane road.

“That will cause substantial tailbacks. This isn’t going to be just during the day, it’s going to be 24-hours a day with lorries in and out and people working as well. “We’ve had such a lot of development with Fosse Park being extended and Everards Meadows, we just feel now that Enderby has had enough.

“We’ve got no infrastructure, the road cannot cope with the amount of traffic and it’s the last bit of green space [8] we’ve got before we get to all the commercial units and then to the city.” A public consultation into the scheme ran until last month. A decision on the warehouses will be taken by Blaby District Council is due course.

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References

^ Enderby (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ the area could see four new warehouses built (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Leicestershire County Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Campaigners say huge logistics hub would swallow up countryside and clog up roads (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Blaby District Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ the traffic (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ last bit of green space (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ sign up to our newsletters here. (data.reachplc.com)