MAG submits planning application for East Midlands logistics park

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), owners of East Midlands Airport (EMA), has submitted a planning application detailing proposals for a logistics and manufacturing park on land south of the A453, adjacent to the airport.

The proposed park, designated as a tax site within the East Midlands Freeport, aims to attract investment and employment opportunities to the region.

EMA's managing director, Steve Griffiths, describes the location as a prime site for a development of this kind. “We are confident that if approved, we will have little difficulty in attracting businesses, bringing much-needed jobs to the region during its construction and operation”.

If approved, the development could generate over 2,000 new jobs once fully operational and employ nearly 200 people during its two-year construction phase.

Strategically located within the UK's logistics 'Golden Triangle', near the M1 and other major road networks, EMA's cargo facilities, and the East Midlands Gateway rail freight hub, the site would offer great connectivity.

The outline plans include several units up to 25m tall, providing up to 135,000 square metres of floorspace for industrial, storage, distribution, and office purposes.

The largest units would be situated closest to the A453, with smaller units towards the southern end, addressing North West Leicestershire District Council's identified need for 2.5m square metres of additional warehousing by 2041.

Significant landscaping, including extensive buffers, new planting, earth bunds, and fencing, is proposed to screen the site and mitigate its impact on the nearby village of Diseworth.

A new access road from the A453 roundabout and an additional proposed roundabout are included, along with parking facilities for cars, HGVs, and cycles, while allowing space for potential A453 widening.

Tom Newman-Taylor, Chief Executive of East Midlands Freeport, said, "Our mission is to act as a catalyst for economic regeneration across the East Midlands to create thousands of jobs boosting skills for local workers, and accelerating the region's commitment to decarbonisation through sustainable development and low-carbon energy investments."