An MP has raised fresh concerns about potential warehouses linked to a planned garden village of up to 6,000 homes.
South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa said he is worried about additional development on 1,000 acres of farmland straddling the M1 between Leicester and Lutterworth.
Developer Tritax Symmetry wants to build between 5,000 and 6,000 homes along with new shops, schools and a logistics park with four million square feet of space. It also wants to build a new motorway service station.
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Tritax and the owners of the land are already talking to Blaby District Council about the plans for the scheme.
The scheme has been controversial with nearby villagers who are worried their own communities will be swallowed up by the large new neighbour.
Mr Costa has said he intends to carry out a survey of nearly 10,000 existing homes in the area around the planned Whetstone Pasture development.
He said he accepts there must be housing development within his constituency but is worried about the scale of a planned new logistics park.
It would stand not far from the expanding Magna Park near Lutterworth and Tritax’s other large-scale proposal for a ‘railport’ on an 830-acre wedge of land by the M69 called the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI).
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The MP said: “In principle while I support much-needed new housing in South Leicestershire, it is important that new developments are built with new residents and existing communities in mind.
“By this I mean that new housing developments should come with accompanying infrastructure such as schools, GP surgeries and other amenities.
“While I know residents recognise the desire others have to live in our lovely part of the county, a core concern is local services, already under pressure, being stretched further, hence why infrastructure improvements and additions are always key”.
“The Whetstone Pastures proposal while ticking many of these boxes, does regrettably include yet more logistics space in an area where there is already an abundance.
“It is for my constituents to decide how much construction they are willing to put up with.
“I have been working with both the developer for the new garden village, local stakeholders and the local resident’s action group in preparing a wide ranging and comprehensive survey for my constituents who live in the vicinity of the proposed garden village.
“I hope to issue the survey to over 10,000 households later in the summer to ensure my constituents have their voice heard and their concerns addressed before any approval is to be given to the development in question”.
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A Tritax spokesperson said: “The site is located in the Golden Triangle where there is significant demand for employment development.
“A logistics park as part of the garden village would fulfil the need for employment development in the area as well as providing significant job opportunities.”
So far no permission has been given by planners to any part of the development though Blaby District Council has said the scheme could be a key element of it reaching its Government-set targets for house building.