Packed rail freight meeting awaits decision (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Packed rail freight meeting awaits decision

7:59pm Monday 20th July 2009 in

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A PACKED Alban Arena has heard arguments for and against the rail freight terminal proposed for Green Belt land to the south of St Albans.

A special meeting of the district council planning referrals committee has heard that some 1,200 letters of objection have been received and only one or two in favour.

Adrian Wallace of the campaign group Strife told the panel: “This will turn a substantial section of the Green Belt into a huge industrial complex.

“It will have a detrimental affect on the quality of life of everyone living in the area.

“We know that the cost of resisting an appeal will be substantial, but you must stand firm.”

St Albans MP Anne Main challenged whether the level of goods traffic envisaged was possible on the already busy Midland Main Line. She said:” “This is fundementally flawed. Many of our prosperous parts of St Albans will wither on the vine. We will be left with a massive lorry park.”

Peter Trevelyan, chairman of St Albans Civic Society, said: “St Albans will appear to a train passenger to be joined with Radlett as one continuous urban sprawl.”

Simon Hoare of would-be developer Helioslough said: “If there was an alternative site not within the Green Belt it would be easier, cheaper and far less stressful to choose that for developmemt.

“Your officers say our alternative sites assessment is inadequate – they do not say why.

“We are very confident with our methodology, which is precisely that used for Highfield Park in Kent where a strategic rail freight terminal has already been approved by the Secretary of State.”

He quoted government advice indicating that appeal costs could be awarded against local authorities refusing planning applications which have already been approved in principle by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Transport expert and planning consultant Ben Wilson said: “We feel there is a lack of objectivity in the site selection report. If you chose a different weighting method it is possible you would get a different answer.”