Plans for massive warehouses given go-ahead despite safety and traffic concerns

Plans for Hinchingbrooke Logistics Park include warehouses up to 24m high, as well as a new bus depot and changes to nearby roads

Plans have been approved to build massive warehouses on the edge of a Cambridgeshire town, despite councillors having “no confidence” in the impact on road safety and traffic. Newlands Developments has proposed to build a “substantial industrial and logistics development” at Brookfield Farm in Great Stukeley.

Plans for Hinchingbrooke Logistics Park include warehouses up to 24m high, as well as a new bus depot, and remodelling of the A141 with a new roundabout and underpass.

The planning application was heard at Huntingdonshire District Council’s development management committee on Monday (April 20), after being deferred from a March meeting. A number of concerns were raised by eight speakers, including concerned parish councillors and residents.

Councillor Chip Colquhoun, of Brampton Parish Council, said while there were “clear benefits for investment, business growth and jobs”, the plans could have an impact on nearby roads, including Views Common Roads and Hinchinhbrooke Park Road. He described these roads as already being “heavily congested” and said that even a “small increase” of traffic could have “disproportionate effects”.

Objectors Councillor Liam Beckett and John Greenhalgh – chair of the Hinchingbrooke Park Residents Association – shared the same concerns. Cllr Beckett said no concerns had been raised by the highways authority on the impact of traffic along Views Common Road and Hinchingbrooke Park Road.

He said there was “zero chance” that a development “twice the size of Huntingdon town centre” would have no impact on a road that was already “over capacity”. Mr Greenhalgh told the committee that the “amenity of Huntingdonshire residents must be prioritised over Newlands commercial scheme”.

Speaking to the committee on behalf of Newlands, agent Andrew Fisher said that the development would bring “social economic benefits” to the area, creating more than 2,400 new jobs. He added that there was a “desperate need for this development”, due to a lack of warehouses in the area.

During the debate, several councillors raised concerns over road safety in Hinchingbrooke. Councillor Patricia Jordan agreed that there were a “lot of benefits” to the scheme, but said she had “grave concerns” over safety.

Councillor Steve McAdam shared these concerns, and said that residents have shared pictures of HGVs travelling along this road. He added that there was always “slow moving crawling traffic” along that road. In reference to a transport assessment produced by Cambridgeshire County Council, he said he had “no confidence whatsoever” in the report as he believed it didn’t look at the real safety impact.

Jez Tuttle, of the highways authority, spoke to the committee via video link about the assessment and said that no concerns were raised regarding the impact of traffic and safety. He told the committee that there was “no reason” for the traffic from the development to go to Hinchingbrooke.

During the debate, Councillor Stephen Corney said he was “struggling to find anything” against the plans, and proposed that the plans be approved. In seconding the proposal, Councillor Eric Butler said that the reference to Views Common Road and Hinchingbrooke Park Road was “not part of this application”, and councillors were “getting distracted by that area”.

He added that the development would create something that they “don’t do a lot of in this area”, as well as help to meet the aim of creating 14,000 jobs in the area by 2046 in the local plan.

Councillor Jon Neish agreed that the concerns raised had “nothing to do with the application”, and also approved the plans. Also in agreement, Councillor Kevin Gulson said that councillors needed to base their decision on what was said by experts, and that the roads in question already had traffic.

He suggested that the remodelling of the A141, including adding a new roundabout, could improve these safety concerns in the future. The plans were approved, with six councillors agreeing, five councillors against, and two abstaining from the vote.