Thank goodness for common sense government. Today’s announcement that the Secretary of State has over-ruled the planning inspector and rejected Helioslough’s second appeal against refusal of the lorry terminal at Park Street is thoroughly good news.
It is the proper reward for years of hard campaigning.
Had this awful development gone ahead, it would have irrevocably destroyed the character of our city and district and would have reduced our roads to gridlock. Of course it is disappointing that the Inspector did not accept the powerful arguments put forward by the council, by STRiFE and by local residents.
But at a political level, the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has shown that it understands the importance of Green Belt and that there are alternative sites for railfreight terminals where much less damage would be caused.
Three cheers for a government which shows common sense. And congratulations too to STRiFE, to St Albans District Council, to all the local political parties who were genuinely united on this issue, and most of all to local residents and interest groups who gave evidence, put up posters, wrote letters, raised money and delivered leaflets. It is their well-deserved triumph.
The county council deserves a good kicking for its abject failure to mount a challenge on highways grounds – that allowed the Inspector to ignore the evidence presented by David Parry and myself that the traffic generation formulae were flawed (see earlier blog entries here). My own belief is that we have identified a serious issue which will alter the way that traffic models are constructed in other similar applications.
One final thought. 12 months ago, our City and District had the twin threats of a wholly inappropriately sized Tesco in London Road and this terrible proposal for a gigantic lorry terminal to the south of the district. In both cases, determined campaigning by local residents, a firm stance from the council, and a blessedly united front from the political parties have seen the respective Goliaths off.
We now have to take our city and district forward with appropriate developments which go with the grain of our ancient and wonderful community.
Congratulations and well done! It was not really a railfreight depot and it was certainly was in a most unsatisfactory place.
However we do need to get freight off the roads and on to rail.
Follow the link to see the case. http://bit.ly/aVgAqa