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Anne Main MPMember of Parliament for St AlbansTelephone: 0207 219 3000 Fax: 0207 219 3058
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Dear Constituent,
I am writing to all households that may be immediately affected by the proposals for a rail freight interchange at Radlett. Many of you will have already received a consultation document from the developer. As your Member of Parliament, I have already received numerous enquiries from some residents on this matter. But I felt it that it would be helpful if I wrote to all households in the immediate area, so I am meeting the cost of this letter personally in order to do just that. On Wednesday 5th of April I attended a stakeholder meeting which discussed all aspects of the scheme including planning, highways alterations, and environmental issues. I spent two hours asking questions on your behalf and I was disappointed to learn that this will be a massive development totalling 3.5million sq ft. There will be an estimated 3,000 lorry movements a day, 200 per hour at peak times, there will also be 2652 car parking spaces which will obviously generate significant associated traffic movements. These proposals hinge on a radical rethink of the London Colney and Park St roundabouts, which as you know are already extremely busy throughout the day. A new access is proposed off the A414 as well as an exit off the site which will include a redesign of the bridge over the M25. Not withstanding the obvious environmental implications of the project and its contentious Green Belt location, I believe it is ultimately an unacceptable proposal that will impact St Albans as a whole. I am very concerned that this will ultimately be a Government and not a local decision. The Government has already stated it’s commitment to finding four sites around London for rail freight interchanges-and studies by the developer show that Radlett is a ‘preferred’ site. Whilst I accept there is some general support for the principle of getting freight off our roads, I cannot give this massive development my support. Furthermore, I will be raising this issue in Parliament and engaging with the relevant Ministers and Government Departments. I will urge the Minister to look for another less sensitive site. I am running a campaign website www.no2railfreight.com on which you will be able get up to date information, and where there will also be an online petition you may wish to sign. For cost reasons I will in future endeavour to keep interested parties updated of any developments by email, but I welcome any feedback or information you may have to help in this campaign. With best wishes, | ||
Anne Main MP www.no2railfreight.com
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Copyright © Anne Main MP and the No2RailFreight Campaign, 2006. All rights reserved. | |||
