Council launches rail freight legal challenge (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news & views by texting st albans to 80360, or email us
St Albans District Council launches legal challenge against HelioSlough rail frieght plans
5:45pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News
By Rebecca Perring, Reporter
St Albans District Council is applying to legally challenge the secretary of state’s decision to approve a controversial rail freight depot in Park Street.
The council’s judicial review will seek to quash the decision and refer the matter back to the secretary of state, Eric Pickles, for reconsideration.
In September last year Mr Pickles agreed to look at the rail freight plans in conjunction with a similar appeal in Colnbrook in Slough.
However he went against this in December and decided not to call them in for reconsideration and announced he was “minded to approve” the application for a huge rail freight near St Albans and Radlett.
This prompted the council to write a letter to Mr Pickles asking him to rethink his decision in January.
Today, the council has begun legal action against the secretary of state and developers, HelioSlough, Goodman Logistics Development (UK) Limited, the company behind the proposed Colnbrook development and Slough Borough Council.
