'˜Locals suffer if Magna Park hub grows', says MP

South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa, speaking in Parliament, told fellow MPs the problem lay in the “piecemeal” expansion of road-reliant logistics centres like Magna Park - developed without a properly integrated road infrastructure.

“The Government have defined a national policy, preferring the development of rail-based freight terminals and seeking to minimise fossil fuel-based road transport” Mr Costa reminded MPs.

He said the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal in Northamptonshire was a good exampled of planned development.

By contrast, he said, road-reliant logistics centres like Magna Park were comparitively unplanned.

The result, he claimed, was local roads and settlements “frequently under strain owing to the volume of traffic they now carry”.

He went on: “The resulting traffic congestion leads to delays and queues at key junctions, disrupting citizens’ day-to-day travel to work, school and health facilities.

“As a constituency MP, I experience this congestion when I take my daughter to school. I see hundreds of heavy goods vehicles every week and I have witnessed accidents involving HGVs.”

He concluded that an expanded Magna Park would only increase problems for local people.

“The proposal to double its size would unacceptably lower the quality of life of my constituents.”

Magna Park Is Big Enough campaigner Maggie Pankhurst said: “The campaign is delighted that our MP was able to secure this debate in parliament and to find support from MPs on both sides of the house and from a government minister.

“We are very grateful to Alberto Costa for raising this issue in parliament and hopefully there will be an increasing recognition that building large logistics parks on the inadequate road network is not acceptable, both to government and local people.”