05 Jun 2024
The future of the proposed freight terminal on hundreds of acres of Green Belt to the south of St Albans will be decided in the Royal Courts of Justice next week.
Campaigners fighting the proposal claim the land was designated as permanent open space for the benefit of the community and that the sale of 300 acres by Herts county council to developers last year was unlawful. If the claim is successful the land cannot be developed.
Next Tuesday’s hearing marks the culmination of an 18 month campaign by Save St Albans: Fight the Freight and their demand for a Judicial Review into the sale.
“The decision will impact on everyone who lives or works in the St Albans area,” said one of the campaign leaders Cllr Terrie Smith. “If the terminal goes ahead it will not only mean the loss of valuable Green Belt open space but it will bring extra pollution and congestion to local roads which aren’t capable of coping with a terminal of this scale.”
The dispute concerns the former Radlett airfield near Park Street. Former Secretary of State Eric Pickles granted planning permission for a huge strategic rail freight terminal on the site more than ten years ago. The main part of the site was owned by Herts county council with other pockets owned by Lord Verulam and Tarmac.
Campaigners claim that when Herts county council agreed to buy their 300 acres of land for £1 in the mid 1980s it was as designated open space with conditions that prevented any development. Herts county council are expected to argue that they bought the land under a different act with no such conditions. But at a preliminary hearing earlier this year, Mrs Justice Thornton noted that the council were unable to provide any evidence to support this.
“For more than a year Herts told us they had been unable to find boxes with key correspondence and meetings of minutes from the period around the mid 1980s and the time of the sale,” said Cllr Smith. “Then in the last few weeks they suddenly discovered some of the missing documents. It hasn’t given us much time but the documents do seem to support our case that the council bought the land as permanent open space for the benefit of the community and future generations. Our argument is that when Herts sold the land to the developers last June, that sale did not follow correct process and is unlawful.”
Over the last 18 months Save St Albans: Fight the Freight have organised a series of public meetings, protests at County Hall and produced a short film about the campaign which was shown at The Odyssey last month.
“We’ve had tremendous support,” said Cllr Smith, “But we still need more.
“Our legal costs have risen again with the last minute disclosure of vital documents from Herts so we are still appealing for more donations to help pay legal costs.”
For more information and details about donating to the campaign go to www.savestalbans.com/donate
