Mum horrified by Derbyshire rail hub plan

IT is a view that Jenny Bannister paid thousands for – but in a matter of years the idyllic scene could be obliterated.

The meadows and peaceful location were why the 49-year-old moved to Etwall Road, Egginton, but plans being drawn up by land-owner Severn Trent could soon put paid to that.

The company has earmarked the 619-acre site, which lies at the bottom of Mrs Bannister's garden, for a massive rail freight interchange.

Detailed drawings leaked to the Evening Telegraph reveal the extent of what the company is considering for the swathe of countryside next to the A38 and A50.

For Mrs Bannister, who lives with husband Lionel, 52, and children Martin, 21, Matt, 23 and Georgina, 18, the plans came as a huge shock, shattering her dream of spending more years in the home she has lived in for 21 years.

"It is horrid to see what could happen," she said. "You spend a lot of money on a property and then to go and get something as big as that right at the bottom of your garden is just a horrifying thought.

"At the moment, I can look out of the kitchen window, across my garden and on to fields but the view I cherish could be destroyed."

Plans for the site, Egginton Heath, were first announced by Severn Trent in January.

It is close to another major development in the pipeline, called Burnaston Cross.

Landform Development wants to build an £80m industrial estate on 101 acres of land south of the Toyota factory at Burnaston, close to the A38 junction with the A50.

South Derbyshire District Council is set to fight the plans at an upcoming planning inquiry.

Severn Trent has remained tight-lipped about the latest plans.

It has previously said that it could involve freight trains and lorries taking goods in and out of the site by rail or road 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The latest plans sent to the Evening Telegraph are labelled as the "preliminary master plan".

They show 15 industrial units, each containing offices and a distribution area.

At the centre lies a point where trains could load and unload goods, including a space labelled as a car-marshalling area and "Toyota car facility".

Lisa Brown, South Derbyshire district councillor for Egginton and Etwall, said the plans would be of enormous concern to residents.

She said: "The community has been aware of proposals to develop this site for railheads and warehousing for quite some time.

"There are deep concerns. It could be argued this has the potential for being one of the largest infrastructure developments ever considered in South Derbyshire."

The latest plans are dated July 7 and show that every inch of the land, which is the size of 300 football pitches, is taken up.

But, according to Severn Trent, the plans have now changed, although the site remains the same size.

A spokeswoman for the company would not comment on the changes.

She said: "The plan is very much out of date. Things are looking totally different today. We are still in the preliminary stages."

A spokesman for Toyota revealed little about its involvement.

"We are aware of Severn Trent's interest in developing some of its land to include a rail terminal," he said. "Obviously, Severn Trent views Toyota as a potential user for such a facility. Discussions are at a very early stage."