Ship-Rail Container Facility Could Mean About 300 More Lorries A Day

2.02.55pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 29th Oct 2004

Ship-Rail Container Facility Could Mean About 300 More Lorries A Day

A proposed new facility on the Eastleigh railway sidings next to the airport could lead to an extra 300 lorry movements every day in the area, according to local Liberal Democrats.

Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne has written to EWS rail to ask for details of the proposed transhipment facility following preliminary discussions by the firm with local officials.

"Eastleigh already has far too many lorry movements each day, and they are a big contributor to noise, congestion and most crucially to pollution in the town centre" said Mr Huhne who is standing for Eastleigh at the general election. "More lorry movements on Southampton Road is the last thing Eastleigh needs".

The proposed facility may not need planning permission from Eastleigh Borough Council because it is on railway land, and is apparently designed to take containers onto the railway from ships docking at Southampton because the port facilities are becoming stretched to over-capacity.

"Because there may be no need for planning permission, the proposals have not been properly discussed with local residents" said Mr Huhne. "I very much hope that the company will now put its cards on the table and outline exactly what it is proposing".