The only case that has been made for including 700,000 sq mts of warehouse land in the Local Plan is that there are outstanding planning applications for this amount of land. This figure was added to the Local Plan only weeks before the final draft went out to public consultation. To this date there had been no evidence that this area of land was required - quite the contrary - in the previous consultation in 2015 it was stated that this level of supply "would exceed significantly the undersupply of non-rail strategic distribution land set outing the Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Distribution Sector Study (2014). Since the last consultation there have been a number of successful planning applications for land which about equals the current proposal for Magna Park. In addition there are other large scale applications for expansion at DIRFT and Sapcote - both of which are/will be on rail-heads (NPPF states a preference for this type of development).
The logic for expansion at MP is that developers own land there, the existing infrastructure and its position in the golden triangle. For local business and residents there is no logic - expansion will create more traffic congestion, local businesses will struggle even more to recruit locally (already a major concern for some employers e.g. care sector) and the type of job we would like to work in will not be created (otherwise we would already be working at MP as they struggle to recruit at the present time). Even the consultants who produced the various reports stated that the decision as to how much warehouse land to put into the Local Plan was a "political" decision.

The focus on employment in the warehouse/distribution sector does not achieve the vision of a diverse and thriving economy. Most people will commute in and the businesses at MP contribute little to the other businesses in the area, and specifically they take employees away from other organisations e.g. care sector.

Key issue 3 in the Local Plan states that the plan will:

- reduce the dependence of Harborough's residents on out commuting and increasing wage rates by providing a breadth of employment alternatives, including more opportunities for Harborough's higher skilled residents..

The major focus of the employment section of the plan is on warehouse/distribution employment. There is already a large dependence on this type of employment in the district and this will be increased if this plan is implemented. Thus over the district the breadth of employment alternatives will have been reduced - and there will be a greater concentration of lower paid jobs. If HD residents were interested in the type of job that will be created they would already work at MP as they are constantly struggling to find suitable employees. The vast majority of current employees at MP are from outside the district and most are from outside Leicestershire and many from outside the UK. Higher skilled workers will continue to commute because the type of work they are experienced at will not be available in numbers by expanding MP.

Key issue 4 states:
Restricting inappropriate development in the countryside whilst promoting rural diversification.

The current MP was welcomed by many residents as it brought employment to an area with very high unemployment and it renovated a derelict site. However any further development will take place farmland and will come up to Ullesthorpe, changing the very nature of the village. This is further concentration not diversification and will change the environment of the village for the worst e.g. traffic, pollution, loss of social amenity, loss of biodiversity etc.

Key issue 5:

addressing the biodiversity deficit in the district through provision of multifunctional space that includes a range of habitats ....

The expansion of MP will take place on agricultural land which is also used a social space for walkers etc and which supports a range of flora and fauna. By building warehouses (even with the provision of some green space) there will be a reduction in the biodiversity and space for walkers etc. Walking alongside 23 meter high sheds is not what people want in their leisure time.

Employment levels in HD are very low. Currently in Lutterworth there are less than 50 people on job seekers allowance. MP employers are constantly advertising for employees and having to reach out further and further to get suitable people. The advent of BREXIT calls into question the sustainability of the current employment patterns at MP without the need to employ a further 10,000 people. At the same time there is increasing competition for employees from DIRFT, Rugby Gateway and East Midlands Gateway.

The A5 has been recognised as inadequate to cope with the current traffic flows. Although this is recognised it is unlikely that there will be any upgrading of the section between Jn2/M69 and Jn18/M1 before 2031 (see Midlands Connect Strategy 2017-2031). Developing Magna Park further will bring more HGVs and commuters onto the A5 and through our villages. Further congestion on the A5 causes losses for businesses, long journey times for commuters and higher risks in terms of accidents and pollution.

The villages around MP are already used as rat runs by employees. The volume of traffic will only increase with the risk of more accidents, pollution and congestion at shift change times.

- the Local Plan also talks about green space and proposes that green space should be preserved between MP, Bitteswell and Lutterworth. Ullesthorpe and Cotesbach also need to be preserved as rural villages and not be encroached on by further development at MP.

The Local Plan does not recognise that 100,000 sq mts of warehouse land has already been given planning permission at MP in 2016. This was fiercely opposed by residents and some local businesses and was contrary to the current Core Strategy. Businesses opposed to further development because they are finding it harder and harder to find employees to work locally because of the low unemployment and the constant demand from the current employers at MP. Prolgis have objected to further development as they believe it will lead to an oversupply of warehousing. Prologis warehouses are on a rail- head along the A5 near Jn18/M1.

HDC have dismissed consideration of other proposed sites.