More than 100 residents attend Thrapston warehouse appeal
More than 100 people attended a public inquiry into plans for a large warehousing development near Thrapston this week, putting their pleas to dismiss the scheme directly to the planning inspector.
If allowed, the logistics site, which is currently at appeal, could see 200,000 sqm of warehousing built on open fields known as Castle Manor Farm, next to Haldens Parkway and the A14.
Speaking at an evening session on Tuesday (Aug 5), designed for members of the public to share their views, Staunch secretary Sharon Cole branded the proposals as ‘greed for the few that will destroy the quality of life for the many’.
More than 20 members of the public shared heartfelt objections to the scheme, touching on the impact on everyday life for nearby residents, worsening traffic problems, the potential for dangerous country lanes to become rat-runs, ruined views from nearby towns and villages, and the effects on wildlife and fauna.
Local resident John Franklin said: “I’m here to speak on behalf of the birds and the animals that can’t speak for themselves. How is it right that these developers assume they can play God over the lives of our wildlife?
“We need to protect our green and pleasant land from this onslaught of warehouse construction.”
The appeal is being fought by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), which is arguing for the appeal scheme to be turned down, and the appellant Equites Newlands (Thrapston East) Ltd.
Local campaign group Staunch (Save Titchmarsh and Upper Nene Countryside and Habitat) is also fighting for the appeal to be dismissed, and developers IM Properties and Harworth Group are backing up the view that logistics development is desperately needed within North Northants.
The testimony from residents will also be considered in the government-appointed planning inspector’s decision.
Jayne Rolfe, the manager of Titchmarsh community shop, said the Upper Nene Valley is an important tourist attraction for the area. She said the business wouldn’t survive with just visitors from the village alone if the views were destroyed by ‘out-of-place big box sheds’.
She added: “We attract visitors from around the globe and are continually being told what a valuable village Titchmarsh is. A development of such magnitude would destroy our village as we know it.”
Member of the Titchmarsh History Association, Ian Curtis, added: “The developers think they can somehow hide this logistics site in the landscape.
“We have been here before 25 years ago, the same strategy was described and claimed to be able to hide Haldens Parkway. You’ll know exactly how successful that was.
“Titchmarsh is a village that, although it’s a small one, it has played a major part in the history of the country. It’s a development that’s larger than the village itself and represents the most catastrophic threat to the heritage of our village in several generations.”
Equites Newlands has said the employment site would create around 2,700 jobs across a range of skills when fully operational. The developer has also emphasised the ‘unmet need’ for logistics in the area and suggested the site’s proximity to the A14 is a key factor.
Dr R Catchpole, the government-appointed planning inspector, is overseeing the 10-day public inquiry, which is due to finish next Wednesday, on August 13.
The planning inspector’s verdict will be published on an unspecified date after the full hearing.