Brits residing in ‘warehouse capital of England’ declare it is like a ‘jail camp’

Northamptonshire has more storage and distribution centres than anywhere else in the UK with huge developments “constantly” popping up

Locals in the so-called “warehouse capital of England” are up in arms over the “daily nightmare” of living under the shadow of a swarm of massive ‘mega-sheds’.

Northamptonshire, which boasts more storage and distribution centres than any other spot in the UK, sees these behemoth developments “constantly” sprouting up.

Folks in Corby are fuming, claiming their lives have been turned upside down by the gargantuan warehouses that snatch away their sunlight and make them feel like they’re neighbours to the “Berlin Wall” or a “prison camp”.

The town is chock-full of sky-high industrial units, including the headquarters of Europa and the under-construction logistics campus for Nike.

One towering 60ft “monster” warehouse, known as Rockingham 161, was even thrown up without the locals catching wind due to a council blunder.

The old Weetabix plant site remains a barren wasteland a year after its build, yet it casts an ominous shadow over homes in Hooke Close.

Those living there say the development has turned their existence into a waking nightmare, casting their homes and gardens into gloom.

Portuguese-born Jose Cruz, 65, along with his missus Olga, 60, settled into their two-bed semi back in 2011. Jose said: “We constantly live in a shadow now – it has blocked out about 80 per cent of our sunlight.”

Nobody wanted the warehouse here and nobody even consulted us about it, it’s been a mad situation from the get-go.

“We feel like we’re bunking next to the Berlin Wall, that’s bang on how it feels, and I reckon not even the Berlin Wall was as hefty as this.”

“I’ve lived in four different countries and I have never known anything like this. The UK is not short of space – why erect these warehouses in between people’s homes?

He continued: “It’s just unbelievable. I’m afraid to have an estate agent round as who knows how much money has been wiped off the value of our property. It’s terrible and we’re very angry we weren’t consulted about it. I just don’t understand this country. The people here are the most wonderful but the one per cent making these decisions, I just do not get.”

In a blunder, officials consulted residents on Hubble Road instead of Hooke Close regarding the massive 160,800 sq ft development.

Confused locals contacted the council to ask why they hadn’t been informed, only to find out that officials had mixed up their street with another half-a-mile away.

Another resident, preferring to remain anonymous, likened their living situation to being next to “a prison camp”.

She expressed her dismay: “It has just been horrifying, we have been left with this monstrous eyesore towering above us. They have planted some little trees but that’s not going to make a difference. We feel like we’re living by a prison camp.

“They are constantly being built in other areas too – the town is becoming a gigantic industrial estate. It’s a daily nightmare.”

Despite their opposition, locals were recently denied a judicial review against the warehouse and were even hit with a £5,000 legal bill. This came despite a judge stating that the council had “fallen well below the standard expected” by failing to properly consult residents.

Close to Magma Park, where Europa’s HQ and the Nike campus are set to spring up, locals are equally peeved about the developments.

However, Clare Bottle, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association, defended the warehouse boom as an “important engine of growth in our supply chains.”

She argued: “As supply chains become longer and face uncertainty due to world events, consumers and businesses alike are increasingly relying on warehouses to store and distribute the goods we need.

“Furthermore, activities which used to take place on the high street and in factories are being shifted into warehouse facilities, along with the processing of returns, recycling and even product repairs, which all underpin the circular economy.”

A representative for North Northamptonshire Council commented: “Following the court’s decision to refuse the claimant’s application for judicial review on this case, the claimant then appealed the decision, and this appeal was then refused by the court in late March 2024.

“Due to the ongoing legal conversations around costs, it’s not possible to comment any further at this stage.”