Public inquiry ruled out over 'inland port' at ex-pit village

Developer Helioslough has been working on plans for what it calls an inland port for several years and Doncaster Council finally gave approval for its construction before Christmas.

The massive terminal is planned for land in Rossington, a village on the edge of Doncaster which was decimated by the closure of its colliery and other traditional industries and factories.

Some local politicians have been broadly supportive of the project, and Don Valley Labour MP Caroline Flint has been even more positive, saying the port could lead to a "jobs bonanza" for the area.

The decision by Ministers not to intervene means the council can now confirm its planning approval but it will disappoint many who spoke out against the scheme from the start.

Helioslough claim the project would create up to 5,000 jobs, both on-site and in related industries, but those opposed to the idea have dismissed the firm's figures as "pie in the sky".

Blueprints submitted with a planning application to the council show the port would include more than 500,000 sq m of warehouse space and be connected to the East Coast railway line.

If it is built, the terminal will have access to the M18, which runs nearby and the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route (FARRS), which should eventually link Robin Hood Airport to the motorway.

Ms Flint said the Government's refusal to hold a public inquiry would not only provide jobs more quickly, but also hasten the construction of FARRS, because developers would contribute to its construction.

The MP raised the matter in an urgent Parliamentary debate earlier this year with fellow Labour MP Jeff Ennis and followed it up with a face to face meeting with Planning Minister, Shahid Malik.

She said she felt she had to press the case for a swift decision on the inland port, which was described as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.

Ms Flint added: "I am really proud that we have won this. This decision is a vindication of our claim that Doncaster is the best place in Yorkshire and the Humber to locate a major rail freight interchange.

"We have made the case to Ministers and this decision shows their understanding of how important this rail freight exchange will be for the region and for Doncaster.

"Doncaster's history is built on coal and rail and this could not be a more fitting 21st century answer to the need for jobs. This project could be a jobs bonanza for Rossington and Doncaster."

Rossington's parish council chairman Terry Wilde has repeatedly criticised the plans for the port, and has been joined in his opposition by parish councils in neighbouring villages.

Tickhill Town Council, Wadworth Parish Council and Loversall Parish Council all registered objections to the plan and demanded that the communities secretary John Denham called an inquiry.

But yesterday Coun Barry Johnson, who represents Rossington on Doncaster Council described the approval as one of the "biggest things to happen in Doncaster since Robin Hood Airport".

He added: "This decision is amazing. It is on the same scale as the decision to let the airport go ahead a few years ago. Yet again on the big issues facing the future of Doncaster the Government has got it right. This is brilliant news for Rossington and a proud day."