The proposal has not been positively prepared for the following reasons:

This proposal is not strategic, but opportunist and is not focused on supporting the employment needs of the the district. This is evidenced by the fact that there are two outstanding planning applications for warehousing there.

The report LLEP SDSS, 2017 has identified that there is less demand for this area of non-rail connected warehousing across Leicestershire. This should not therefore be focused on one single sire, but spread across Leicestershire.

The proposal is not justified:
There are very low levels of unemployment in Harborough District and particularly in Lutterworth, less than 2%. There is already competition from the other local distribution centres at DIRFT, Rugby and East Midlands to name a few. Therefore the addition of 10,000 of the same type of jobs will have very little impact on an already very low employment rate. The job types are low skilled and will requires a substantial increase in commuting for areas well outside the district, with significant increases in traffic a to fulfil the jobs. This goes directly against one of the plan goals to reduce out-commuting.

The increase in commuter traffic and lorry movements will be on roads that are not suitable. The inadequacy of the A5 is recognised on the Midlands Connect Strategy 2017 - 2030. This local plan strategy does not envisage a need to upgrade the A5 around Magna Park, going against the report referenced above.

The strategy is not consistent with the national plan, which states that preference should be given to warehouse and distribution sites that have access to rail freight terminals. Magna Park has no direct access to a rail head, whereas other local sites such as DIRFT does.