MILTON MALSOR PARISH COUNCIL Website: www.miltonmalsorparishcouncil.org.uk

Correspondence to the Clerk, Mrs Ann Addison The Paddocks, Baker Street, Gayton, , NN7 3EZ Tel: & Email:

28th July 2018

The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Planning, Temple Quay House, 2, The Square, BRISTOL, BS1 6PN

Dear Sirs,

PINS is requested to register Milton Malsor Parish Council as an ‘Interested Party in respect of the DCO application by Roxhill Developments.

1. The West Joint Core Strategy (WNJCS) completed, found to be sound by PINS and formally adopted in 2014 specifically rejected a request from a developer (Ashfield Land) to include provision for a SRFI. The strategy states that new rail freight interchanges are not deliverable within the plan period and that major new industrial development should be focussed on three sites ie. Silverstone DIRFT and around the M1 junction 16. 2. The WNJCS aims to achieve a balance between providing housing and jobs. An SRFI development would create jobs far in excess of the WNJCS plans. Insufficient housing coupled with the exceedingly low unemployment rate in the local area would mean that the majority of employees would have to travel some considerable distance to the site adding to traffic congestion thereby defeating the objective of removing traffic from the roads. 3. DIRFT, the International Rail Freight Terminal, which is nearby and serves the local area has sufficient capacity for expansion until 2031. 4. The SRFI site proposed by Roxhill is an important ‘Local Gap’ and is a large area of open countryside separating the urban area of Northampton and the rural area of . Development of this site would destroy the heritage and ambience of many of the local villages and would inevitably lead to pressure for further development. Cont. Page 2

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5. The M1 in Northamptonshire is already one of the most congested sections of this motorway and suffers from numbers of closures. The computer models used to assess traffic capacity have not been used to stress test the impact on local roads at times of motorway congestion, a serious omission. 6. A number of well used local footpaths and bridleways will suffer from diversions that are considerably less convenient, will become far less attractive due to the loss of their countryside views and suffer from increased noise and air pollution when compared to the existing routes. 7. A major concern of local residents is the proposal to make the Rd. junction on the A508 ‘left in’ and ‘left out’ only. This will cause considerable inconvenience locally and add to the current traffic problems on Stoke Rd. in . 8. The cumulative adverse impact of 24/7 noise, light and air pollution will be considerable for residents of many local villages. The additional daily HGV trips each day will add to the already critical levels of nitrous oxide and particulate pollution around the M1 (an AQMA). The Northamptonshire “Parishes Against Pollution” group (29 parishes) have combined to fight this threat to residents health. 9. Ashfield Land (Rail Central) is proposing a similar SRFI on land adjacent to the Roxhill proposal. The cumulative impact of the two proposals has not been fully assessed particularly in relation to the local road network where different solutions are proposed in relation to the changes needed to the major junctions. A full cumulative impact assessment should be undertaken prior to the application proceeding.

Yours sincerely,

Ann Addison (Mrs)

Clerk to Milton Malsor Parish Council On behalf of Council Members

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