The leader of Leicestershire County Council says he has quit the East Midlands Freeport board over his objections to a huge planned logistics site in the countryside within his ward.
Coun Nick Rushton is a long-time backer of the low tax inland freeport plans, which he previously said would “power up the region's economy, create much-needed jobs and put the East Midlands firmly on the map”.
However he said he could not agree with a planned 250 acre warehousing development on the other side of the A453 south of East Midlands Airport – close to the village of Diseworth – which he said was only recently added to the masterplan.
According to local pressure group Project Diseworth the big logistics site would sit on land it calls a “green lung” between the village and the M1.
The airport and the recently developed Segro East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park make up one of three main areas of the freeport.
Coun Rushton is both the county councillor and North West Leicestershire District councillor for the Long Whatton and Diseworth ward.
In a statement issued by Protect Diseworth, he said: “Although I support the East Midlands Freeport and the economic benefits it will bring, I fundamentally disagree with the late addition of a major greenfield area around Diseworth.
“This was not part of the original bid and its last-minute inclusion was undemocratic, lacking in transparency and carried out without any consultation.
“Not only that, it’s totally the wrong place to put an industrial development of this enormity.
“There is no need to decimate this rural area and disrupt the neighbouring village when there are plenty of brownfield sites locally that would be much more suitable for this aspect of the overall freeport development.
“I called on my former colleagues on the freeport board to reconsider this inappropriate add on but they seem determined to press ahead despite my opposition.
“This left me no alternative but to resign.”
The Government has said the three East Midlands tax sites – around East Midlands Airport, the Ratcliffe on Soar power station redevelopment site and the East Midlands Intermodal Park near the Derbyshire Toyota plant – will support 61,000 jobs and bring an extra £8.4 billion into the local economy over 30 years.
It is the only inland freeport in England, and would offer firms streamlined planning rules, tax reliefs and business rates reliefs, and allow businesses to import and export without tariffs or red tape.
Protect Diseworth spokesman Richard Brackenbury said: “We applaud Coun Rushton for taking this stand and for his support of the people of Diseworth and the surrounding area.
“We are not against the freeport in general, but we firmly believe that the farmland which neighbours our rural village is a highly unsuitable place for this specific part of the development.
“A busy, noisy logistics hub will have a major impact not just on people living in the village, but also on local traffic, the environment and wildlife.
“We implore the board to consider alternative brownfield options and to exclude our green and productive fields from their forthcoming planning application.
“It’s not too late for them to do the right thing.”
A spokeswoman for the freeport has been asked to provide a comment and provide further details on the Diseworth plans.
