Plans for a strategically important rail freight terminal attached to an extensive logistics park near St Albans are in flux once again. A UK judge has ruled that a challenge to the sale of land for the development can be heard in court later this year. Campaigners against the proposals have hailed this as a significant victory. The developers have remained tight-lipped.

The former airfield at Radlett, near the town of St Albans in Hertfordshire, may not be seeing any development just yet. Plans by developers SEGRO to establish a rail freight and logistics park may falter once again. A legal challenge hangs over the project, based on the right of the local authority’s 120 million pound (141 million euros) sale to the company.

Rail element will never see tracks laid

A bitter fight has been waged by concerned locals. They claim that the proposed rail freight terminal is only included in the plans as a sweetener to the deal. “Save St Albans Fight the Freight” believe that the rail element will never see tracks laid. Instead, they expect their neighbourhoods and roads to be overrun with heavy goods vehicles. Nevertheless, the developers SEGRO pressed ahead with the purchase of the land, which was completed last Summer.

SEGRO received planning permission for the terminal from the UK Government. The Secretary of State for Transport has recognised it as a nationally significant infrastructure. They say that it will deliver major benefits on a national, regional and local scale. SEGRO also say the development will form a key part of the UK’s modal shift from road to rail and help meet the country’s net-zero ambitions. None of that cuts any ice with the campaigners, who have remained resolute in their resistance.

Judge satisfied there is a case to answer

Work was expected to start on-site in the Summer of last year (2023). However, the protracted protests and legal challenges have significantly delayed the project. No significant ground has been broken as yet. SEGRO say they had intended to make the initial focus on creating the rail connection. They propose to begin preparing that part of the site for development. They claim the completed scheme will deliver around 4,000 jobs, with around a further 500 jobs generated on-site during construction. However, that has all been challenged by the local resistance group. According to local media reports, the campaigners have argued that the initial sale of the land to SEGRO was flawed. They say it should not have gone ahead at all. A public meeting has been called for 3 March at a local venue.