People are now just weeks away from having their say on controversial plans for more than 14,000 new homes in St Albans.

St Albans District Council's next local plan must include sites for an additional 14,608 new homes – the equivalent of 913 new homes a year until 2036.

And in drawing up the draft plan, the authority has identified 11 ‘broad locations’ for housing developments.

Lawyers have already raised objections about the inclusion of one site and the omission of another.

And residents – particularly around Redbourn – are said to be deeply unhappy with some of the chosen locations.

But the council agreed last Wednesday that the draft Local Plan – which will need ultimate approval by Government – should go out to public consultation as it is.

Recommending that the plan went out to consultation, Cllr Mary Maynard, who is responsible for planning, said: “The Local Plan 2020-2036 sets out planning policies and proposals for the future development for the city and district of St Albans.

“The plan has been developed as a collaborative effort with councillors from all groups within the council.

“It will  enable the delivery of the housing, employment and infrastructure we need in the district to 2036, whilst minimising the impact on valuable Green Belt land.

Cllr Maynard said it would deliver locally needed social housing and small and medium-sized family homes for local people.

She highlighted the new secondary schools, new primary schools and a “step change” in the Abbey Line to bring in a 20-minute service.

And she said it would bring in modern policies for everything pertaining to planning and planning control, highlighting particularly the delivery of broadband.”

However in voting to start consultation, a number of councillors emphasised that this did not indicate that they approved of the current plan.

Cllr Victoria Mead represents the Redbourn ward, which could have more than 5,500 new homes by 2036 if the plan is agreed.

She said: “The majority of Redbourn residents  – not all, but the majority – are not happy with such a large proportion of the district’s proposed housing being developed in the Redbourn ward and the overall effect it will have on Redbourn village.

“However by progressing the plan to public consultation ‘regulation 19’ stage it will give residents  their opportunity  to have their say, which is so vital, and, importantly, let their ward councillors know exactly what they think.

“We are not approving the local plan, we are approving the plan to go to public consultation for all residents to be heard.”

Public consultation is expected to start on September 4 and will run for six weeks until October 17.

According to the timetable the plan would be submitted a public inspector acting on behalf of the Secretary of State by March and it could be adopted by the council in spring 2020.

However lawyers connected with two sites – one in the Local Plan and one not – are already considering the possibility of legal action.

Earlier this month lawyers for the Lawes Agricultural Trust contacted the council to claim their site, to the north east of Redbourn, may have been “unfairly” excluded from the shortlist of sites in the local plan.

They have claimed that the process is “legally flawed”, that the council failed to conduct a full comparative exercise and that the local plan may not be “sound”.

Meanwhile lawyers for Helioslough Ltd, which wants to build a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) on the site earmarked for the Park Street Garden Village, have also claimed the draft local plan is “flawed” because it does not address the need for the SRFI.

And they say if the site remains in the draft local plan they will consider a possible legal challenge.