It was today announced that a legal challenge to block the strategic rail freight interchange on the former Radlett Aerodrome had failed.

The scheme has been bitterly opposed by local campaigners since 2006.

St Albans District Council has been ordered to pay the Secretary of State’s costs of £13,269.  

REACTION:

Cathy BolshawSTRIFE (Stop the Rail Freight Exchange) campaigner, said: "We are seeking advice from our barristers, but clearly we are devastated for the whole of the St Albans area and all the residents we have represented. 

"We will now be putting pressure on the county council not to sell the land. We would like to thank all our supporters and assure them we will try and stop this monstrous development happening on our Green Belt land where and however we can."

Councillor Julian Daly, the council’s portfolio holder for planning and conservation, said:  “The council is, of course, disappointed with the Court’s decision.  

"Our position remains that building a freight interchange at this site will be harmful to the District’s Green Belt. We are taking advice from our legal advisors before deciding whether to apply for permission to appeal the decision.”

Anne Main St Albans MP said: “I am left stunned by the judge’s decision. We’re still going through the document to digest the judgement and what our options are.

“I would welcome the council’s views, but they were right to challenge the decision and follow through on their objections in court.

“Sadly it appears we are nearing the end of the road in this David-and-Goliath battle, but I will not stop opposing the development until the fight is over.

“I am now seeking a meeting with Herts county council at the earliest opportunity, where we can decide how best to continue the fight.”

Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, said the decision will affect the whole city. He said: "All the judge could do was determine whether the Conservative Secretary of State had exercised his powers lawfully and sadly it seems that Mr Pickles did.

"With one stroke of the pen, Mr Pickles stabbed St Albans in the front, sides and back.

"Although the immediate impact if the scheme now goes ahead will be on the residents of Park Street, south St Albans and the villages, the ripples will go far wider.

"The setting of the city and Abbey will be irrevocably damaged. Increased traffic congestion will affect the far wider highway network and impact on the attractiveness of our community to other businesses and organisations. And there will be massive disruption to rail commuters.

"I will be working with county councillor colleagues to press the Conservative leadership of Hertfordshire County Council not to be Eric Pickles's puppet and not sell its part of the land unless it is forced to do so by compulsory purchase. And we will also need to see what mitigation might be possible.

"It is truly depressing news. I am so desperately sorry that after all the hard work of residents, STRiFE, the council and politicians of all parties it should have come to this.”

 

 

Park Street district councillor Steve Bowes-Phipps, who resigned last year over the railfreight decision, said: “As a community we feel let down by the Coalition Government and our views have been cast aside in favour of big business and the pursuit of profit at the expense of people’s quality of life.

“It is too early to say what happens next, but the idea was, should we lose, to try to minimise the impact and ensure that HelioSlough deliver what they promise and nothing less.

“This means ensuring that this truly represents a Railfreight Terminal and not just a glorified road haulage depot. Make no mistake though, this is a dark day in the history of St Albans and marks the beginning of the end for the Green Belt and the rural countryside setting for the villages of Park Street, Frogmore and London Colney.”

Park Street district councillor Aislinn Lee said: “Words cannot express how I feel now that the decision from the High Court has gone against the appeal from St Albans Council.

“The community I represent has united against this development and shown its opposition like nothing I have seen before. Indeed the largest petition ever received by the County Council, over 10,000 signatures, reflected the strength of feeling against this proposal." 

In a letter to the county council, Mrs Lee added: “Please do not be Eric Pickles’s ‘puppet’. Within the rules of ‘fiduciary duties’ it states that the council must achieve best value for its residents. It is clear to me the best value of this land is to retain it as an asset for future generations, while worst value would be the massive traffic congestion and disruption to Hertfordshire people and businesses.

“You can only sell the land once. You and I both recognise the value of Greenbelt status in protecting our communities from coalescence. This large swathe of land is the last piece of Greenbelt between us and London.

“If Eric Pickles is so determined to destroy this site and the surrounding communities by imposing this on us, let him Compulsory Purchase it – for all of our sakes please don’t be bullied into selling it.”

District councillor Jacob Quagliozzi said he thought the Council had good grounds to appeal. He said: “I want to thank everybody who has fought so hard on this issue for so long, council officers, councillors, residents and not least the formidable Strife group.

“This is a very difficult day, and there are many questions over what the future will hold, but our community in London Colney and St Albans will face these challenges together.”

 

 

Kerry Pollard, Labour parliamentary candidate for St Albans, said: "As a St Albans resident I feel badly let down by the coalition Government - this could and should never have got to this if the Ministers had stood by St Albans - all is not lost however as the County Council, as main landowners are not obliged to sell the land, which is publicly owned.

"A much better option would be to use a portion of the land for public open space, some housing and perhaps a football stadium.

"HeliosSlough still need to get the agreement of Railtrack for the substantial track alterations that will be required where two lines will be out of commission for many months.

"In addition the County Council are obliged to get 'best value' for the disposal of a publicly owned asset - selling to HeliosSlough for a rail freight terminal will not achieve that."

Oliver Dowden, the Conservative parliamentary candidate who is hoping to replace James Clappison as Tory MP for Hertsmere, has also responded to the decision.

He said: “This looks like very disappointing news.

“I remain completely opposed to this development. The last thing Radlett and the surrounding area needs is an entirely inappropriate rail freight terminal that threatens to clog up our roads with lorries, jam the Thameslink line with freight trains and spoil our surrounding countryside.

“I believe our local area deserves better than this.

“I will vigorously pursue all possible alternatives to try and get the best deal for local residents.”

Will this decision affect you? Get in touch at revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk