TNT aims to move in August
TNT Express is delaying a £4 million move to north west Leicestershire for four months.
The parcel giant, which wants to create 200 jobs at a depot in Lount, near Ashby, had been planning to be operational by the start of this month.
But the company says it needs to carry out more work at the site than first envisaged, and has been forced to delay the opening until August.
The delay will not affect the new jobs, with the likelihood of creating more in the future.
The company has taken over the site at Lount from Chronopost International. The Eurohub, as it was originally known, was formerly owned by Panic Link until a sale to Chronopost.
However, Chronopost went into administrative receivership last June, leading to 196 local job losses and the site going on the market.
Sally Bullock, spokesman for TNT, said: “There are things that we need to do down there at Lount before we open so it’s going to take a bit longer.
“We have also had a change in the way that we are doing things in the company and, as a result, it is going to take a bit longer to get everything up and running.
“It will not now be operational until August.”
TNT Express announced plans to move to Lount in January, saying it would be ideal to serve East Midlands Airport and would benefit from good links to the M1 and M42.
It was in 1995 that North West Leicestershire District Council granted planning permission for the Eurohub building in countryside, despite protests from villagers in nearby Newbold Coleorton, which overlooks the site.
Coun Barry Webster, who represents the area on the district council, said: “We are a rural area and they are creating new jobs. We hope they will be a good neighbour.”
