Council fights Rail Freight appeal
The Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) Public Inquiry has now concluded. The Inspector is now preparing his report and recommendation(s) for submission to the Secretary of State for their consideration. The Secretary of State will issue their decision(s) on or before the 23rd of June 2010.
Opening Statements - 24 November 2009
Opening Statements on behalf of the Local Planning Authority (the Council), Helioslough (the appellant) and STRiFE can be viewed below. These statements will have been added to verbally at the Inquiry and can be viewed on the webcast here.
Opening Statement on behalf of the Local Planning Authority
Opening Statement on behalf of Helioslough
Opening Statement on behalf of STRiFE
General information on the Inquiry
The Inquiry commenced on 24 November 2009, and is scheduled for 16 days.
Once the Inquiry has taken place, the Planning Inspector will send a report to the Secretary of State who will make the final decision.
Written evidence and rebuttals
Written evidence and rebuttals on behalf of St Albans City and District Council, Helioslough, STRiFE and the Highways Agency can be viewed under separate headings below.
Written evidence on behalf of STRiFE
Statement of Case
Passenger Train Operations, Jim Morgan, First Capital Connect
Rail, Douglas Hirst
Green Belt, Adrian Wallace
Noise, J S Consulting
Bill Pryce, St Stephen Parish Council
Ann Morton, Bricket Wood Residents Association
Malcolm Mark, Napsbury Park Residents Association
Patricia Pryce, Park Street and District Residents Association
Alan Wilkinson, Napsbury Lane Residents Association
Written evidence on behalf of the Highways Agency
Statement of Case
Rail Freight Planning Application
The second planning application for the development of a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI), submitted to the Council by Helioslough Ltd, was considered by the Planning Referrals Committee, at the Alban Arena in St Albans on Monday 20th July 2009 at 7pm.
At the meeting the Committee refused the application for the fourteen reasons stated in the Minutes of the Planning Referrals Committee Meeting 20 July 2009.
To view the webcast of this meeting, please click on the link below.
Webcast of meeting on 20 July 2009
The application can be also viewed by clicking on the links below:
Rail Freight Planning Application
Rail Freight Environmental Statement
Rail Freight Briefings
In the light of local interest the Chief Executive arranged two briefings which took place on 12 December 2008 to provide information on the processes to be followed in the event of a potential further planning application from Helioslough and role of the Council as Local Planning Authority. The first briefing was attended by Councillors and the second by both Councillors and members of the public that had responded and given evidence at the Public Inquiry regarding the previous Railfreight application by Helioslough.
Click on the links below to access the notes of the two briefings:
Notes of Rail Freight Briefing to Members
Notes of Rail Freight Briefing to Members and other interested parties
Strategic Rail Freight Interchange - Appeal Decision
Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has dismissed the appeal by Helioslough Limited against St Albans City and District Council's refusal of planning permission for a rail freight terminal on land in and around the former aerodrome in Park Street.
The decision comes after a planning inquiry lasting from 6 November to 20 December 2007 during which the Council, together with Hertsmere Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council opposed Helioslough's plans for a rail freight interchange involving buildings of up to 330,000sqm together with parking for up to 1665 cars and 617 lorries.
Following the Public Inquiry, the Planning Inspector, Mr Andrew Phillipson prepared a report to the Secretary of State recommending dismissal of the scheme and the Secretary of State has accepted his recommendation.
The Secretary of State's decision letter, together with the Inspector's report is available below.
Secretary of State's Decision Letter
Planning Inspectorate's Report
Press Releases
(in descending date order)
16 Nov 2009: Evidence relating to the highways network will not be lodged as an objection to the Rail Freight depot
30 Oct 2009: Arrangements for the Rail Freight planning inquiry
16 Oct 2009: Outcome of the Rail Freight Planning Referrals meeting 14th October
13 Oct 2009: Approach to Rail freight defence to be decided.
24 Aug 2009: Council prepares for Rail Freight appeal
21 July 2009: Decision on the second planning application for a Rail Freight Interchange
15 July 2009: Rail Freight Planning Referrals Committee meeting 20th July 2009
18 May 2009: Application for rail freight depot to be assessed
14 Nov 2008: Rail Freight plans to be resubmitted
17 Dec 2007: webcast - end of the Rail Freight Planning Inquiry
12 Dec 2007: The Rail Freight Planning Inquiry comes to a close
12 Nov 2007: Rail Freight Planning Inquiry relocates for w/c 19 Nov
22 Oct 2007: Additional seats for Rail Freight Planning Inquiry
02 Oct 2007: Arrangements for the Rail Freight Planning Inquiry
19 Sep 2007: Rail Freight Planning Inquiry to start 6th November
06 Sep 2007: Decision on date for Rail Freight Planning Inquiry
12 Jul 2007: Rail Freight Planning Inquiry update
04 Jun 2007: Rail Freight Planning Appeal
20 Feb 2007: Decision on the Rail Freight Planning application
22 Dec 2006: Rail Freight Planning application update
08 Nov 2006: webcast of Rail Freight meeting
02 Nov 2006: Rail Freight Planning committee decision
23 Oct 2006: Rail Freight Planning Referrals Committee meeting
13 Oct 2006: Rail Freight Planning Referrals Committee 1st November
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions are listed below with answers:-
What does the planning application involve?
This is an outline planning application (approval of means of access, siting and landscaping only) for the development of a Strategic Rail Freight interchange, comprising intermodel area, distribution buildings (Class B8 use) and other related floorspace (Class B1/B2 use) up to 331,655 square metres with a maximum height of 20 metres together with associated roads, rail and other infrastructure works including parking for up to 1602 cars and 617 lorries with earth mounding, tree planting and a new Park Street/Frogmore relief road. It includes additional landscape and other works on further sites to provide public access to open land and community forest. The overall proposals involve some 419 hectares.
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Will a final decision be made on the night to approve or refuse the application?
Should the Planning Referrals Committee decide on 20th July to refuse the application it will be a final decision by the council. Helioslough can appeal a refusal to the Secretary of State. If the Committee is minded to grant the application it will not be able to make a final decision because of the Highway Agency’s Holding Direction.
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Is the land concerned included in the application Green Belt land?
The whole of the site is located within the metropolitan Green Belt. The bulk of the land is greenfield. Greenfield is a description applied to any previously undeveloped land or land which has reverted to its natural state.
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Date of last review: 12 January 2010