Lutterworth's Magna Park set to expand under new logistics hub plan

Another huge logistics hub looks set to be added to Lutterworth’s Magna Park as part of a wider plan to expand the site.

Outline planning permission has already been granted by Harborough District Council officials for the development, but the full application will be decided by the council’s planning committee tonight (Tuesday June 6).

The applicant, GLP is based in Singapore and owns a large number of warehouses across the globe used by brands such as Amazon and JD.com. The company has invested heavily at the Magna Park site and is looking to continue development.

If approved, a 36,008 sqm large logistics building will be constructed on the site of Magna Park Lutterworth South, meaning it will the ninth warehouse built in the development. The applicant already has outline permission to build a number of distribution and storage buildings on the site – which is the size of 51 football pitches.

According to planning documents, the wider development is perceived as an “evolution of Magna Park” and the vision for the project is to “create an exemplar and truly green logistics park”. The applicant has included a number of design features to help mitigate its impact on the environment, according to the documents, which includes retaining existing vegetation, planting in nearby woodlands and creating and maintaining meadows and ponds near the site.

Planning officials have recommended the application be approved because outline planning permission has already been given and the developer has adhered to the section 106 agreements. These cover financial or other contributions, such as schools or sports facilities, made by companies behind major developments to help reduce their impact on the local community.

The building will be used as storage and distribution floorspace but will also include supporting offices. Car parking spaces will be available at the site and a number of cycle lanes have been included in the plans to encourage more sustainable forms of travel. Councillors on the HDC planning committee are set to make a decision on the plans on tonight (Tuesday June 6) which residents can view via a live stream on the council’s website.