31 Jul 2026
Rail freight developers SEGRO have snubbed calls by residents of Frogmore and Park Street for compensation over the daily dumping of dust from the site onto their properties.
Throughout the recent heatwaves, dust from the former Radlett Aerodrome site is blowing across the villages and onto vehicles, windows, garden furniture, washing lines and into people’s homes where it is ruining their carpets and furnishings.
Neighbours cannot open their windows to cool down in the soaring temperatures, or go outside to use their gardens, and are reporting headaches, sore throats and irritated eyes.
Local residents have demanded compensation for SEGRO blighting their lives and failing to tackle the situation over the past few weeks.
Campaigner Peter Hawkins, on behalf of the Impacted Residents of Frogmore & Park Street, has called for SEGRO to establish a Residents’ Impact Fund for the households directly affected by the earthworks phase.
This would cover the cost of regular external cleaning of vehicles, windows and property for the duration of the earthworks; provide compensation for damage to paintwork, garden furniture and property caused by dust deposition; and give recognition to the loss of amenity suffered over the 2026 and 2027 construction seasons.
He said: “On top of the physical symptoms, the mental strain of living like this for months, with no end date and no one taking responsibility, is very real.”
But SEGRO have refused to consider paying any compensation for the ongoing dust blight.
A spokesperson explained: “We recognise the concerns raised by local residents and take them seriously.
“Construction and earthworks of this scale generate dust, particularly during prolonged periods of hot, dry and windy weather such as those experienced in recent weeks.
“We are working closely with our contractor, STRABAG UK, and St Albans district council’s environmental compliance team to ensure we operate within the regulations and to strengthen mitigation measures where we can.
“Monitoring is in place around the site and results continue to be shared with and reviewed by the relevant authorities. Alongside this, STRABAG continues to review site operations and dust suppression measures to minimise impacts wherever possible.
“UK planning law does not require compensation to be paid to residents for local developments that have been granted planning permission.
“Instead, the planning system is designed to weigh up the public benefits of a development against its potential impacts on the local area and focuses on mitigation measures, which are often included as conditions in the planning permission or improvements to community infrastructure through mechanisms like Section 106 agreements.
“SEGRO’s planning permission includes a Section 106 contribution, which will be implemented by Herts County Council, and planning conditions requiring the investment of millions of pounds into improvements to local roads.”
Meanwhile, another resident has come forward to reveal the detrimental impact of the works on their lives, this time from Napsbury Park on the other side of the development.
Shan Tilakumara of Lovett Road said: “My family and I have experienced a noticeable deterioration in our quality of life since construction activities intensified. We are being exposed to persistent dust and airborne particulates, which have resulted in continuous sneezing, headaches and respiratory irritation. Members of my family suffer from asthma, and we are increasingly concerned that the poor air quality generated by the site is exacerbating existing medical conditions and placing our long-term health at risk.
“This is not merely an inconvenience; it is affecting our daily lives. We have found ourselves unable to enjoy our home and garden as we once did, and we regularly have to keep windows closed despite warm weather because of concerns about dust entering our property. No family should have to live under these conditions.
“The burden of this development is being borne disproportionately by ordinary families who had no meaningful choice in the matter. Like many families, we have invested heavily in our home and our community. We chose St Albans because of its excellent environment and quality of life. It is extremely distressing to see that environment deteriorate while residents are left feeling ignored.”
St Albans MP Daisy Cooper said: “One of the reasons the Liberal Democrats and I opposed this development from the outset was its wholly inappropriate location, squeezed between small villages. We are now seeing the consequences of that decision.
“It is simply unacceptable that a major development should have to rely on favourable weather conditions in order to avoid causing misery and disruption for local residents.
“During periods of extreme heat, it is entirely reasonable for residents to want to open their windows, spend time in their gardens or visit local parks without having to worry about dust from the site entering their homes or aggravating existing respiratory conditions.
“When the former Conservative Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, approved this development, no provision was made for compensation in circumstances such as these, so there is unfortunately no mechanism to compel SEGRO to compensate affected residents, but I had hoped the company would consider doing so as a gesture of goodwill. It is disappointing that it has chosen not to.”
Editor’s comment: Sometimes you don’t have to play by the rules. Sometimes you just have to do what’s right.
Rail freight depot developer SEGRO are legally correct in their stance that under UK planning law they have no duty to pay local residents any amount of compensation for the daily deposits of dust which blow onto their properties and vehicles from the Park Street site.
But that doesn’t mean they are morally right by any means. SEGRO have made a lot of noise about being part of the local community when the depot is completed, but they’re going to have a hard time integrating with neighbours whose lives they have made a misery for months on end.
Given the vast amounts of money which this project will ultimately generate, paying a few thousand pounds to local people for the impact of the works is the least they could do.
Not only is this dust making it impossible for them to use their gardens and requiring constant cleaning of their cars and homes, but it is also triggering headaches, sore throats and irritated eyes, coupled with the mental strain of dealing with the problem.
SEGRO have effectively washed their hands of the dust caused by their works, confidentally insisting they are acting within monitoring levels, and basically telling residents they need to shut up and put up with the problem.
Coupled with the death of hundreds of saplings and whips at the promised country park due to poor planning there, SEGRO are really not doing anything to endear themselves to the local community…
