Blaby District Council has lost a planning appeal for a new logistics hub at St Johns, Enderby.
Drummond Estate and Inverock Ltd launched an appeal earlier this year after the Council’s Planning Committee refused the outline application in October 2023. Residents were concerned that the hub could swallow up the countryside and clog local roads.
The site is identified for employment use in the Blaby District Local Plan, adopted in 2019.
The Planning Inspector reviewed the Council’s decision to refuse the applicational at a public hearing in July, granting permission for the scheme.
The application, from the Drummond Estate and Inverock Trust, includes plans for four warehouses, offices, gatehouses and, potentially, a training and education centre.
The hub is proposed for use as a storage and distribution centre with new access off Leicester Lane.
A similar scheme, known as Hub 2, was granted outline permission on the same site in June this year.
The Council has also been ordered to pay the applicant’s costs, which are currently unknown.
Further detailed applications will now follow, including the layout and appearance of the site.
Jonathan Hodge, Blaby District Council’s Group Manager for Planning and Strategic Growth, said: “We acknowledge the Inspector’s decision on this appeal and will work with the landowner and developers as more detailed plans for the site are received.”
Campaign group Snub The Hub set up a petition, against the plans.
The petition reads: “If approved, the development will result in the loss of one of the last remaining green spaces between our village and Leicester city.
“It is essential for residents’ mental and physical wellbeing, and the loss of this community asset will have a grave impact on local access to wildlife and the outdoors.”
