Residents slam ‘good neighbour’ shortlisting for airport

Residents close to East Midlands Airport (EMA)[1] have hit out at the facility after it was recognised for its commitment to "being a good neighbour". Diseworth villagers are said to be in disbelief at the honour amid long-standing fears over the planned East Midlands Freeport scheme. The villagers have spoken out after EMA was named as a finalist in both the Positive Impact category of the Travel Industry Awards and the Airport of the Year categories for both the National Transport Awards and the Travel Industry Awards by TTG.

The Castle Donington[2]-based facility is far from a good neighbour according to residents. Diseworth man Richard Brackenbury said: "It seems that nobody has done their homework before agreeing to shortlist the EMA in this context." READ MORE: Leicestershire records wettest ever September amid floods and heavy rain[3]

Mr Brackenbury hit out at the recognition as Diseworth fears the impacts of the proposed East Midlands Freeport scheme. Earlier this year, EMA applied for outline planning permission to develop 135,000 square metres of employment space[4] on land south of the A453, bordering Diseworth. The major plan includes warehouses with integral offices[5] and associated infrastructure such as parking, roads, and landscaping.

The airport aims to develop the land for industrial and storage use, taking advantage of its strategic location and the Freeport designation. However, residents have raised concerns, fearing the development could overwhelm the village of Diseworth. Residents have pointed to issues such as the height of the proposed buildings, traffic congestion, noise, light pollution, and potential environmental damage, arguing that the development would destroy the character of the heritage village[6].

Mr Brackenbury said: "Whilst you can point to certain actions as being neighbourly; donating to a school or for some equipment - as they have done.

It comes to the bottom line of them wanting to put these B8 sheds on productive agricultural land right up to the edge of the village. "If those are the actions of a good neighbour, then frankly I wouldn't want to see a bad one - it's a matter of public record of what's been going on over a number of years." He is not alone in his concerns[7].

Fellow Diseworth resident Tim Wagstaff said: "There are far more suitable brownfield sites within the locality. The soon to be decommissioned Ratcliffe Power Station site is an obvious contender, Toton Sidings another. Diseworth is predominantly rural - that is its charm - it should remain so.

"The proposed sheds are huge and, no doubt, proposed for 24 hour use - the visual and noise impact on the residents of the conservation village of Diseworth would be awful. Bright floodlights, reversing beeps of lorries and fork lifts throughout the night. This is wholly inappropriate for a village setting."

Mr Brackenbury believed the Freeport plan went beyond the limits of acceptability.

He said: "This is not a dispute over a garden fence or three feet of land. It's over a number of B8 industrial sheds with a minimum of fifteen metres in height and possibly going up to 25 metres, working on a 24 hours basis." Despite the concerns, EMA maintains that it is committed to being a responsible neighbour.

It also believes the Freeport scheme will benefit the area and that it had taken Diseworth residents' fears into consideration in its application. An East Midlands Airport[8] spokesperson said: "As one of the region's most important businesses for driving economic growth, we take seriously our commitment to being a responsible neighbour to many communities in a wide area around the airport. We listen to the concerns of local people and work closely with those who live nearest the airport to mitigate the impact of our 24-hour operation on them.

Recent steps include a ban on the noisiest aircraft at night. "Our planning application for a Freeport tax site south of the airport is designed to attract investment, create jobs and give the region a much-needed economic boost after years of under investment. Given its proximity to the M1, the airport and nearby rail freight gateway, this site could not be better located to attract high-tech logistics and advanced manufacturing firms.

"In preparing the planning application, we have listened and responded to local concerns and have taken the proximity of the village into account. This includes maximising green space near Diseworth and the distance between the proposed buildings and the village, as well as limiting building heights." Have you got a story for the Leicester or Leicestershire area?

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References

1. ^ East Midlands Airport (EMA) (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
2. ^ Castle Donington (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
3. ^ Leicestershire records wettest ever September amid floods and heavy rain (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
4. ^ develop 135,000 square metres of employment space (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
5. ^ warehouses with integral offices (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
6. ^ destroy the character of the heritage village (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
7. ^ concerns (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
8. ^ East Midlands Airport (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
9. ^ [email protected] (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
10. ^ We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)