The company behind proposals for a huge rail freight interchange near Lowton has announced it will delay its next consultation until early summer, following feedback from more than 900 local residents, businesses and community groups.
Tritax Big Box, which is proposing to build 17 warehouses and a rail terminal with 4 huge railway sidings on more than 500 acres of land opposite Kenyon Hall Farm along Winwick Lane, said it needed more time to reflect on the concerns raised and to complete additional assessments, including traffic modelling.
The statutory consultation closed on 23 December, and local residents’ groups including Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum (LENDF), Lane Head South Residents Group and Lowton West Residents had urged as many people as possible to respond. We shared some of the key concerns being raised at the time.
It seems that call was answered. The developer confirmed that feedback raised concerns about traffic, transport capacity and road safety; air pollution and public health; rail capacity and viability; loss of green belt and agricultural land; potential impacts on protected and sensitive sites; the size and scale of the proposed development; and potential visual impacts.
Many respondents also raised concerns about the timing of a planned additional consultation, which Tritax Big Box has now pushed back to early summer 2026.
In an email to respondents, the ILPN RFI Communications Team said: “We have this week taken the decision to delay the Additional Statutory Consultation until early Summer. This will provide our team with the time necessary to reflect on the feedback we have received and the findings of additional assessments (such as traffic modelling). We will use this additional time to continue engaging with statutory consultees and others on how the proposals for ILPN RFI can be improved in response to the feedback we have received so far.”
What happens next?
The developer says it will present updated information about the project later in the year. We’ll keep you posted when the next consultation is announced.
Of course, this doesn’t mean this important issue is resolved. The plans remain on the table and for those who object to them, the fight continues.
But if you responded to the consultation, thank you for taking the time to have your say. It’s clear that local voices have been heard – and that the strength of feeling in our communities has made a difference to how this process is progressing.