24 Oct 2024
Developers in north St Albans have destroyed the biodiversity of a site ahead of securing planning permission for a proposed 1,000 new homes.
Contractors for Cala Homes have cleared a section of land between the A1081 Harpenden Road and the B651 St Albans Road.of flora and fauna, causing large scale damage to an eco-system that connects to Heartwood Forest and is home to red list birds, badgers, owls, bats and many other protected species.
Gee Smedley, spokesperson for campaign group CLASH Two, said: “Cala have no approvals to develop in North St Albans yet, but that hasn’t stopped them destroying the biodiversity of the site and we see nature recovery strategy as touted by the Lib Dems for a reason to push forward the Local Plan.
“On one of the most polluted A roads (A1081) in the UK, used by thousands of school children every day, this is Cala’s approach to climate change and biodiversity.
“The local firm DLA Planning have not come forward with any further plans on how a third version of an active travel lane would look, and the lead local flood authority have criticised the scheme and not removed the conditions.
“The area is locally classified as a preservation site for hedgerow, but its biodiversity has been smashed by Cala contractors. No doubt hoarding will go up next and the last of the mammals will be trapped and die off.
“This is against the backdrop this week that the Local Plan was voted through by Full Council with councillors claiming it was the only way to preserve biodiversity and start nature recovery.
“They can see for themselves firsthand what biodiversity and nature recovery really mean when destroying Green Belt – the exact opposite. It is like saying that the best way to keep the sheep safe is by bringing the wolf into the pen with them.
“This council has taken the once in a generation opportunity to reverse the protection of countryside despite huge impact of climate change on the area with flooding as never seen before. Daisy Cooper was seen on social media congratulating the leader of the council for the ‘achievement’. At least we now know the full extent of the charade the Lib Dems have put up regarding promises to protect Green Belt.
“Location of housing is a political choice, there is enough brownfield in our region to deliver the social and affordable housing we need without further damage to our natural world. We fail to see how Cala or the council can justify their actions.”
When police were called to the scene the contractors working on the site claimed they weren’t told there were protected species on the site. In total around 100 trees and shrubs have either been destroyed or seriously damaged.
Cala insisted they had permission for the enabling works: “Cala’s St Albans site was granted outline planning consent by St Albans City and District Council in January 2022.
“Please be assured that the enabling surveys and works currently being undertaken on site are in line with the relevant legislation and permissions. Development on site will not commence until a reserved matters application is approved.
“We take our responsibility to the environment and wildlife very seriously and have engaged with specialist contractors, including ecologists and arborist surveyors, prior to any works starting on site.”
Years in the making, St Albans’ controversial Local Plan has now been approved ready for submission to the Secretary of State – despite the next stage of consultation still being underway.
The Regulation 19 stage of the process allows for public comment on the draft Local Plan’s compliance and ‘soundness’ with national planning policies – but not whether potential sites for infrastructure, employment and housing developments should or should not be included.
The consultation period is due to conclude on Friday November 8, but Full Council decided to approve the draft Local Plan at its meeting last week.
The Plan allows for the building of 15,000 new homes in the district over the next 17 years in accordance with current national planning policy guidelines – but does not reflect changes in housing targets announced by the new Labour Government.
Council leader Cllr Paul de Kort said: “It is in the interests of our residents that we move forward with the Local Plan without delay otherwise we will be vulnerable to more speculative planning applications for inappropriate developments.
“It is these opportunistic developments that most concern residents as they don’t take a strategic account of the impact on the local community and, as they are not included in a Local Plan, they contribute less to improving the local infrastructure.
“This Local Plan can protect the district from such random, piecemeal developments by providing for new housing, schools, parks, cycleways and employment centres in a strategic way.”
Reactions to the Local Plan announcement have seen political parties and campaign groups alike condemning the decision to press ahead without waiting for the end of the consultation, as well as highlighting the destruction of Green Belt land it will result in.
Paul King, on behalf of campaign group Greenbelt, said: “The council have voted on approving the draft Local Plan before the Regulation 19 consultation has finished, which rather sums up the approach that planning officers have taken throughout the process.
“Initially they presented hundreds of pages of documents to the committee, two weeks before they were expected to vote on the detail, and said don’t worry about scrutiny, that can be done later. They launched the Regulation 18 process, received a poor response, but pretended that they hadn’t.
They then ignored much of the feedback they received and launched the Regulation 19 process, with no major changes to the original draft.
“Now they are stating that it needs to be approved quickly, without scrutiny, to avoid an even greater housing target being imposed on the district.
“There is an urgent need for a Local Plan, however it must be a Plan that does not destroy fast amounts of the Green Belt, which is precisely what the current proposal does.
“This entire process has been mismanaged by planning officers, which will increase the chances of the Plan being found to be unsound at the examination stage.”
SADC Greens and Independents group leader Cllr Simon Grover said: “St Albans urgently needs a Local Plan. A robust and bold one that secures sustainable, well-built housing for future generations and those waiting on housing lists.
“Does the current Plan deliver that? There’s plenty of talk about sustainability and biodiversity, but will it stand up to the changes from climate change? If we must build on Green Belt land, we have to get it right. Green Belt land provides carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, wildlife habitats, and food crops.
“We need to build fully sustainable, gas-free homes to protect people from energy price spikes. Let’s give people homes of the future – warm, cheap to run, powered by renewable technologies – that won’t need retrofitting later because we didn’t commit to the best we can build.
“We also need better commitment and service from public transport companies. Car usage here is higher than average, and the Local Plan does little to address it. Walking and cycling are promoted, but we need reliable, frequent buses to get around. Redbourn has no rail access, poor bus service, and yet is earmarked for major development. Air quality is already an issue, with rising asthma rates, especially in children.
“The Environment Agency’s report on the Plan raises concerns about our water quality and efficiency – we use more water per capita than the national average. The sewage plant that serves St Albans is at capacity and regularly discharges into the River Ver – a river we’re trying to revitalise. Thames Water has had little input, and the Plan leaves it to developers to liaise with them. How will the sewage plant cope with all the sites listed in the Plan?
“The Plan includes flood-risk sites and says the risk will be mitigated. Given our current rainfall levels, careful planning is essential. It also includes a meadow with rare, protected species and an ancient monument. The number of houses on this site has already been reduced because it’s so restrictive, and the Green Belt Review suggests there are too many complications to include it. How can houses be built here when we can’t plant trees in Verulamium Park because of ancient monuments?
“The Local Plan should commit to a sustainable future for St Albans.”
Cllr Emma Turnbull, leader of the Labour Group of councillors on St Albans council said: “There is no doubt that the country needs more housing but where to build is a political choice and we don’t agree with the Liberal Democrats’ Local Plan.
“The most valuable Green Belt is the bit that residents have access to – yet the council’s priority has been to build on the outskirts of towns and villages. Over half the homes proposed are on the Green Belt and greenfield land which shows that the council has not tried hard enough to look at alternative options.”
SADC Conservative group leader Cllr Teresa Heritage said: “The requirement for a local planning authority to have a Local Planning Policy is not controversial nor is the need for more housing.
“But what is controversial is that if new homes are not built in the right place and are not of the right type settlements will lose their character and desirability.
“So the St Albans and District Local Plan is absolutely needed but councillors have never been provided with incontrovertible evidence as to the reasons for the choice of sites nor the housing needs for the district.
“I am unsure as to how the council will ensure that developers stick to planning policies and needs. Enforcement, now it is jointly run by Watford Borough Council, feels non-existent. I don’t feel that residents have been sufficiently made aware of the potential for the Planning Inspectorate to approve the Plan and the potential for more Green Belt to be lost due to the Labour Government’s new planning rules which are harmful to districts like ours!”
