Government rejects Hinckley Rail Freight Interchange

By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters

Logistics Matters reported in February that TBBD would have committed £800 million of private investment to the project which could have provided upwards of 8,000 jobs as well as generating between £329m and £406m per year in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy

In September 2024,  the Secretary of State for Transport indicated that she was minded to refuse the application for a DCO as the developer had not provided enough information and analysis concerning increased road traffic and its subsequent effect on the surrounding villages and other traffic junctions as well as, ‘the effect [of the development] on the landscape and visual receptors, effects from noise and vibration, the loss of a small quantity of the best and most versatile agricultural land and effects on air quality as well as some cumulative effects’.

Despite an extension until 10 March this year, for all parties to make further representations, the Secretary of State felt that concerns had not been mitigated  fully and the DCO was refused.

Tritax has spent the best part of a decade bringing forward the proposals and was willing to fund the whole scheme privately requiring no support from Government and ultimately the tax payer.

At the time of the extra submission earlier this year TBBD Managing Director Andrew Dickman said: “Few developers have the funding, capability and expertise to deliver a project of this scale and complexity. We are fully committed to the project in the knowledge of the major economic and social benefits it will bring to the country’s future economic prosperity, and its impact on growth in the wider UK economy.”

Maritime Group, signed an exclusive agreement with TBBD to develop, lease and operate a 40-acre Strategic Rail Freight Interchange which once operational would have been capable of handling 16 trains per day removing more than 83 million HGV miles from the UK road network. The significant volume of goods switched from road to rail could save around 70,120 tonnes of CO2 each year.

In her report refusing the DCO the Secretary of State noted that there was a compelling need the the strategic rail freight interchange both regionally and nationally and that the creation of job opportunities, the facilitation of the transfer of freight from road to rail and the energy that will be produced by the applicant for onsite use all carry substantial weight in favour of the proposed development. However the highways and road safety issues were not satisfactorily met meaning she felt that she could not grant the DCO.

A statement from Tritax Big Box Developments said it was disappointed regarding the decision and would be taking further legal advice.