Spot the 27 metre-high crane: artist's impression of rail depot near Northampton

An artist's impression that purports to show views over the countryside if a rail depot is built near Northampton has been criticised by residents.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Aug 2016, 07:19 BST
Updated 26th Aug 2016, 08:51 BST

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The developer behind Rail Central has released long-awaited detailed plans for the proposed eight million sq foot depot, which would join Northampton to Blisworth.

They include photographs of the landscape overlaid with graphics depicting huge warehouses.

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But a 27 metre-high gantry crane for transferring freight to and from trains is either missing or, in one particular picture, tucked behind some convenient trees.

Max Harding of the Stop Rail Central Group said: “They’ve chosen not to put it onto most of the illustrations and you can understand why.

“It would be huge and would dominate the area.”

“On the one image where it is present, the photo is taken from the only angle where it would be hidden behind some trees

Mr Harding said that campaigners would be little comforted by the new plans.

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He said: “We’re grateful to have some more detail, but they’ve done nothing to allay our fears.

“The biggest challenge they have is the visual impact.

“This has done nothing to suggest they can mitigate that.”

Developers Ashfield Land have been contacted for a comment.

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