21 Aug 2023
Has the fight against a rail freight terminal in the heart of Park Street’s Green Belt taken a positive move forwards?
Campaigners are now preparing a series of legal challenges following the sale of the land to developers Segro by Herts county council.
Save St Albans: Fight the Freight say they have identified a series of flaws in the sale process which suggest the sale of the former Radlett Aerodrome site should not have gone through.
They have also uncovered a series of covenants relating to the land that they believe confirm it should be held in statutory trust as open space and would block any development on the site.
One of the campaign leaders, Cllr Nuala Webb said: “We’ve been going through old council minutes and correspondence dating back 70 years or more and there are plenty of clauses and covenants that insist there should be no development or building work on the site other than agricultural units.
“Herts county council have either not bothered to look through these or have tried to ignore them.“
Lawyers acting for Save St Albans: Fight the Freight have written to HCC demanding they undertake a thorough review of the legal status of the land which the council bought for £1 in 1985.
“It’s unlikely that anyone would sell 300 acres of land for £1 if there was potential future development value there, “ said Cllr Webb. “This decision affects St Albans and the surrounding district and we feel Herts county council in their rush to sell have failed the public they’re supposed to serve.”
Campaigners also claim the council have failed to comply with a legal obligation to properly investigate the potential impact on local people through the additional pollution the development will create. Lawyers say that under the 2010 Equality Act the council has a legal duty to consider the pollution impact on vulnerable people in the area. Some homes will be just yards away from the terminal.
“From what we have seen there is no sign the council has complied with its responsibility and obligations,“ added Cllr Webb. “It’s quite clear that HCC has not acted in the public interest. They rushed to sell valuable Green Belt that should be protected on behalf of the people who live here and for future generations,”
Lawyers are now sending the council a pre-action protocol letter which could halt the any development until a proper pollution impact assessment is undertaken and evaluated.
