Mrs. Anne Main MP

Member of Parliament for St Albans

House of Commons

London, SW1A 0AA

February 2008

Latest rail freight fight update – Feb 2008

As you will be aware, the seven week long Planning Inspectorate inquiry into the Radlett railfreight proposal finished in December. The Inspectorate has since written to me saying that the final decision by the Government is expected “on or before 3^rd October 2008” and I understand that the Appeal Inspector’s recommendation to the Secretary of State may be as early as March.

In light of the Government’s recent decisions to approve two massive railfreight sites in Shellhaven in Essex, and Bexley in Kent, both in the Eastern region, I pressed the Secretary of State for Transport at Parliamentary Questions last week and called upon her to reject the Radlett proposal, which is in a village setting, in the green belt, with inadequate transport links:

“Anne Main: The East of England had accepted the need for one strategic rail freight interchange. Since that decision was taken, the Bexley and Shellhaven developments- two in the East of England- have been approved. Will the Secretary of State bear that in mind when the Planning Inspectorate’s decision comes before her in respect of granting or not granting such a development in Radlett in my constituency? We do not need it accessed from our busy roads. We have more than sufficient capacity, given the two decisions that have been made since the application was made.” – 22^nd January 2008

The Government believes it requires three to four railfreight interchanges around the London area but these two decisions must surely remove any argument by developers for a further site in the East of England Quadrant.

Despite a somewhat unhelpful reply from the Secretary of State, I will continue to urge her to listen to the views of thousands of my constituents who rightly feel that this proposal will damage St Albans.

The Inspector was left in no doubt at the inquiry by STRIFE, the Council, and all of us who oppose the plan, that this is the wrong proposal, in the wrong place, and we expect the Government to listen, and I will keep fighting until a decision is made.

Anne Main

Conservative Member of Parliament for St Albans