Is it the end of the fight to prevent a strategic rail freight interchange being built on land south of St Albans? This week High Court judge Lord Justice Lewison rejected a further legal challenge to the way Herts county council sold the land, after campaigners claimed the sale should have...
Community campaigners presented their case opposing plans to build 95 houses on Green Belt land in Park Street at a five day planning inquiry which ended recently. Appellant Scott Properties employed two barristers, an experienced planning company and a range of consultant companies, including Atkins, to argue why it should be...
The next phase in the process of implementing a Local Plan for the St Albans district is now underway. This week, members of SADC’s planning policy and climate committee agreed to commence the Regulation 19 Consultation. This only allows for public comment on the draft Local Plan’s compliance and ‘soundness’ with national...
Years in the making, St Albans draft Local Plan could be entering its final stages. SADC councillors will meet on Monday to decide whether the Plan - the blueprint for future development in the district - should go forward for the technical consultation, known as Regulation 19 Publication, later in...
Fresh concerns have been raised about the viability of a major development to the north of St Albans. The proposals are for approximately 1,100 homes behind the Texaco garage on the Harpenden Road and stretching all the way to the railway line. The area is owned by a number of different...
The proposed acceleration of the Local Plan process has not gone down well with opposition councillors on the district council. Cllr Simon Grover, on behalf of the Greens and Independents group, said: “We are very concerned about the Lib Dems' decision to rush through the Plan process. Up till now, the...
The brakes are off! SADC has announced preparations for a possible early submission of its long-awaited Local Plan, in a bid to shield against a wave of speculative development across the district. SADC planned to submit its draft Local Plan by April 2025, however, in light of the proposed changes to...
The leader of the Labour group on St Albans district council has backed her party’s decision to increase housing targets, albeit with a caveat on where building takes place in the district. Cllr Emma Turnbull said: “The Government is keeping the promises it made during the election campaign and has a...
It was the last day of Parliament before the summer recess when the fresh housing targets were revealed for councils across the country, an eleventh hour announcement which left many MPs reeling. So is there anything St Albans representative Daisy Cooper can do to shape national policy and help protect the...
Outside of the SADC administration, the reactions to the Government’s increased housing targets have been overwhelmingly negative, with campaign groups calling on the local authority and MPs to take a firm stance against the proposals. Shirani St Ledger McCarthy, who represents Keep Chiswell Green (KCG), said: “It appears that SADC will...
Contribute
You can help keep quality local journalism alive by making a one-off donation or set up a regular direct debit. Any contributions will help ensure the long-term future of the St Albans Times.
