Plans for huge rail freight hub between Etwall and Egginton 'moving closer'
SEVERN Trent expects to submit a planning application this summer to build a massive rail freight terminal in Derbyshire, a councillor has claimed.
The water company had put its plans for 619 acres of land between Etwall and Egginton on the back burner during the recession.
It had expected to sign a contract with a developer for the scheme in April last year, the first sign of progress since 2009.
The company has now admitted that this did not happen and that, though it was committed to the project, it was still working to "secure the right partner".
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But Etwall Parish Council chairman Lisa Brown said a director of Severn Trent had told her the firm was confident of making a planning application in the near future.
She said: "I know they were in serious discussions with partners who have done projects like this before. It's conjecture, but I believe the contract with the developer may be down to dotting Is and crossing Ts."
Mrs Brown said she understood that a planning application was "likely" in the summer.
She said: "Serious pre-planning application work, environmental studies etc, is about to start."
The development, which could create 2,000 jobs, is significant enough nationally that the planning application is expected to go to the Infrastructure Planning Commission, a Government body that deals with extremely large developments.
Asked about the developer contract, a Severn Trent spokeswoman said: "Etwall Land Ltd, a subsidiary company of Severn Trent Plc, remains committed to the development of its land holding at Etwall.
"With this in mind, we are continuing to work hard to secure the right partner that will assist us in driving this significant project through the planning process.
"With a scheme of this size and investment, it is essential that all the elements that are needed for a partnership agreement of this nature have been considered.
"However, we are very hopeful that the contract will be completed in the near future".
The revival of Severn Trent's plans last year dismayed local campaigners.
Jenny Bannister, who can see the site from her house, said the view of rolling meadows was one of the reasons she moved to Etwall Road, Egginton, 25 years ago, and that this would be destroyed by the terminal.
She said she had hoped the proposals had been "kicked into the long grass".
Mrs Bannister said: "I thought it had died a death. It all calmed down and I thought they hadn't got the funding so I'm shocked to hear they're now looking for a developer.
"The noise level, the impact on the environment and the wildlife will all be terrible. This area is being ruined by industry."
John Forkin, managing director of city promotion group Marketing Derby, previously said thousands more jobs could be created by the terminal on top of the 2,000.
He said: "When I work with investors interested in coming to Derby, one of the first questions they ask is where the nearest rail hub is.
"Derby is in the middle of the country and businesses want to get products to the ports."
Comments
by Antony_Rol
Saturday, January 05 2013, 10:47PM
“Kermit
You said 'already industrialised'
The very definition of brownfield
If your definition of already industrialised is different then as I demonstrated both sites can demonstrate equal neighbouring 'industrialisation'
You may feel Toyota closing would be no loss to motoring, it would however undeniably be a huge economic loss to derby, derbyshire and the UK
As a businessman I'm sure even you could understand and appreciate this, ugly (read functional factory) building or not?”
by Kermit
Saturday, January 05 2013, 10:28PM
“by Antony_Rol
"You mean Kermit, an area already populated with a large and successful business park, and several hotels?
Where is the derelict unused brownfield land?"
Who said anything about a brownfield site?
There is ample land there. the area has already been ruined, why ruin yet another area?
And for your information, I believe Toyota to be a massive mistake, probably the uggliest building in Derbyshire, and something that should never have been built on its current site. Indeed since the cars they build are complete boring rubbish its closure would be no great loss to motoring.”
by WillCroft3
Saturday, January 05 2013, 8:29PM
“To derbybobby & Andrew_ilson I am not bitter towards Railway men, I was once on the Railways salaried staff.
some of you may remember me on the enquiry desk at the Midland station back in the 70s or at Spondon station back in the 60s, back then we only got 6 free passes a year and an unlimited number of quarter fare tickets; we called privilege tickets.
Now come on everyone got travel concessions from the Loco works to the office to Chadd.
The point that I was trying to make is that this train yard call it what you want, is going to be a White Elephant. Go anywhere you like by train and you will see factories & quarrys with disused sidings. Why because it is too expensive to send your goods by train, These preserved railway people tried to move their visiting steam engines by rail but it was too expensive for them to do so.
Bombardier has rail sidings yet it sends its Underground stock by road for that reason.
When I worked at Celanese no good came in or went out by rail, I was told that once Celanese had six shunting engines, and everything came in and out by rail.
I would love to see goods back on the railway but it is too expensive, I believe that they should never have closed the old Great Central, because it was built to Continental Loading gauge, and would have been ideal for the Channel Tunnel traffic.”
by Antony_Rol
Saturday, January 05 2013, 7:50PM
“Kermit, that area is already populated with a large and successful business park, and several hotels
Nearer the A50 you have another business park and operational sand and gravel pits, again on a floodplain, otherwise surrounded by green land, there is no brownfield site ready for development there either
You suggest that area is blighted well let's see the proposed area has in its vicinity the A50, A38, Toyota, the old Willington power station, a service station and a railway
Quite similarly 'blighted' in fact, or is it a nimby issue, it's too close to your house?”
by Antony_Rol
Saturday, January 05 2013, 7:35PM
“You mean Kermit, an area already populated with a large and successful business park, and several hotels?
Where is the derelict unused brownfield land?”
by Andrew_Ilson
Saturday, January 05 2013, 6:15PM
“WillCroft3, free rail passes ended in 1990 with privatisation. Even those with one are taxed heavily. Plus, this is freight traffic we're talking about, not tax-payer subsidised passenger traffic.
Also, the rise in rail tickets is to make up the reduction in the subsidy. The government sets the level, not the TOCs.”
by derbybobby
Saturday, January 05 2013, 5:09PM
“MR.WillCroft3 you seem very bitter towards Railway men.Only protected EX BR staff get Free passes,on which they are taxed.New Networkrail staff get no perks,and employees of Train operating company like EMT get a limited number of Free tickets and discounts.”
by Jamamc
Saturday, January 05 2013, 12:09PM
“Oh dear maybe both areas !!!!”
by Kermit
Saturday, January 05 2013, 11:54AM
“by Antony_Rol
"Kermit, perhaps you could advise on some existing unused industrial land of minimum 600acres, with existing rail and road infrastructure, and such good links to major motorways and areas of production?"
Try the area between the airport and M1. An area already blighted by the motorway, the A50, the airport, and the power station.”
by Antony_Rol
Saturday, January 05 2013, 11:13AM
“Kermit, perhaps you could advise on some existing unused industrial land of minimum 600acres, with existing rail and road infrastructure, and such good links to major motorways and areas of production?”