Prodrive 'not surprised' at Fulcrum opposition.

The Prodrive group has revealed that it expected some degree of opposition to its plans for the Fulcrum development at its Honiley site, but insists that the problem is not as bad as some are making out.

Local campaigners have expressed concerns over the redevelopment of the 200-acre site, which the company hopes will feature design offices and R&D facilities, possibly leading up to a potential Prodrive F1 entry in 2008, but the Banbury-based engineering giant claims that the opposition is mainly to do with the expected increase in site traffic during the building phase.

Although the Honiley site already plays host to one arm of the Prodrive operation, as well as other automotive companies, and features a test track used by them, the planned increase in facilities has some locals up in arms, with the building works seen as detrimental to local wildlife, as well as the residents' own way of life. The Fulcrum Prodrive Action Group is the result of those concerns, and has already made its opposition known to the planning department of the local council, which is currently pondering whether to give the redevelopment project the green light.

"We are generally in favour of promoting and improving the area; boosting the economy and providing jobs, but there are detrimental effects and we decided to form a group to make people aware of the wider implications," one resident told the local Kenilworth Today newspaper, "The application would entail moving the current entrance in Oldwich Lane East to Honiley Road, which would need a roundabout to facilitate traffic going in and out, but employees would still use the 'rat runs' through the rural villages as the new entrance would mean drivers travelling greater distances and journey times.

"There is also a wooded area within Prodrive which houses muntjac deer and barn owls, [as well as] bats, badgers and great crested newts - all of which are protected. The construction will also involve significant felling of trees, which provide a natural habitat for the wildlife, and it seems ridiculous that this could appear in the middle of the countryside."

Prodrive, however, admits that it expected a degree of opposition, as is often the case with a project of Fulcrum's size, but insists that 70 per cent of the questions raised are to do with the expected increase in traffic, rather than any other issue.

"This isn't unexpected," a spokesperson told Crash.net, "Nothing of this scale ever goes unopposed, but the opposition is not to the project itself. Their concerns are largely about the amount of works traffic during the redevelopment.

"Of course, we are concerned, and hope that, with better planning, there will be less objection and a greater chance of success. We have already spoken to the planning officer and mentioned these concerns, so we will see where we go from there."

The spokesperson admitted that Prodrive had no control over the local roads, and could not insist on the addition of traffic measures to appease the concerned, but pointed out that there were still eight weeks to run on the required consultation period, in which the public and others with relevant interests were entitled to express their views.

The company also pointed out that current activities at the Honiley site were not under threat, including the use of the test track there.