Major four-acre Castle Donington distribution hub plan emerges for East Midlands Freeport

A major distribution and logistics hub with the potential for hotels has emerged for land opposite East Midlands Airport (EMA)[1]. The plan looks to be one of the first phases for the region’s East Midlands Freeport, but has already sparked concern from opponents. The scoping proposal, which has been submitted by EMA’s owners, the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), centres on land south of the A453 in Castle Donington [2].

The vast four-acre site, which is opposite EMA, has been eyed up for a number of units and uses which will all form part of the East Midlands Freeport – the only inland freeport of its kind in the UK. The Freeport, which was formally approved by the Government [3] last year, ultimately aims to create 28,000 new jobs [4] over three major sites spanning 533 hectares – EMA, the East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP) in South Derbyshire and the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station redevelopment site in Nottingham. This A453 land is one of the first phases of the major scheme.

In documents, the scoping proposal looks to take up vast swathes of the land opposite the airport up to its border with the M1 services at Junction 23a and the village of Diseworth in the other direction. Several parcels of the land are still under third-party ownership, but MAG is hopeful to develop on all aspects of the site. CRBE, on behalf of MAG, says it aims to build a number of units capable of hosting distribution, logistics and industrial firms on the site.

These “multiple” units would span up to a combined 125,000sq metres internally, while the plan also makes provisions for hotels and hostels in the area too.

Land south to the A453 in Castle Donington would be transformed as part of the East Midlands Freeport plan (Image: Google)

The sites would operate 365 days a year and would see new junctions and access roads created off the A453. A new roundabout and service yards with parking would also be put in place too, with CRBE saying the plan would “safeguard” green space south of Hyam’s Lane in Diseworth which would border the Freeport zone. The East Midlands Freeport will be subject to millions of pounds in investment.

Last year, it received GBP25 million in “seed funding” from the Government to drive growth in the area [6], with hopes that it can boost the Leicestershire economy and beyond in the years ahead. However, the size and scale of the plan – even at this early stage – has raised many fears. Long Whatton and Diseworth Parish Council said it was “extremely concerned” by the plan and feared that it would add to “significant” pressure nearby villages were already facing.

It said Diseworth was already “hemmed in” by the M1 and A42 motorways and this would add to problems. Kegworth Parish Council [7] is similarly concerned. It said its councillors strongly objected to plans which “encouraged the spread of urban development” for areas including Kegworth, Castle Donington and Diseworth.

Despite early criticisms, CRBE says the East Midlands Freeport is a “once-in-a-generation” investment [8] in infrastructure and will create more jobs as well as attract more investment and benefits to the East Midlands.

Subject to a full application being submitted and approved, CRBE says the distribution and logistics zone could begin as soon as next year and take five years to complete.

A formal application will be submitted to North West Leicestershire District Council at a later date.

References

^ East Midlands Airport (EMA) (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Castle Donington (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ formally approved by the Government (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ create 28,000 new jobs (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Tesco hits back at Lidl’s ‘fundamentally unsuitable’ supermarket proposal (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ received GBP25 million in “seed funding” from the Government to drive growth in the area (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ Kegworth Parish Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
^ “once-in-a-generation” investment (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)