The Conservative Parliamentary Spokesperson for St Albans has called on Hertfordshire County Council and St Albans City and District Council to "save Park Street".

Clare De Silva's comments regard a proposed sale of land near the village to rail freight developers SEGRO.

She said: "I visited the proposed rail freight site recently and was shocked to see the negative impact that preliminary investigative work had already had on the area.

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"Before major work has even started, the beautiful landscape is being destroyed.

"Speaking with constituents in both Park Street and London Colney who will be affected by the plans, it is clear that the rail freight proposals are causing great concern for many.

"In an area of rich biodiversity and close to residential streets, the proposed site is, in my view, wholly incompatible with an industrial-type development of this size and scope.

"I am therefore calling on both Hertfordshire County Council and the Liberal Democrat-run St Albans District Council to do everything in their power to stop the sale of the land to the rail freight developers and instead look for alternative uses for the site, to be developed in consultation with local people.”

Meanwhile, MP for St Albans Daisy Cooper has described news that the Conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council will decide whether to sell the land, as a “damning indictment” of the government’s approach to local democracy.

Herts Advertiser: Daisy Cooper MP has written to the Conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council about the issue.Daisy Cooper MP has written to the Conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council about the issue. (Image: Archant)

The Liberal Democrat MP said: "This issue began almost nine years ago in 2014, when the designation of this site for a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange was made by the Conservative government, and specifically the former Housing Secretary of State, now Lord Eric Pickles.

“This means that the traffic alterations were approved eight years ago – and a lot has changed since then.

"I wrote to National Highways and Herts County Council in February this year to ask them to review these traffic alterations.

“I also asked the housing minister if he would hold discussions with the county council on the idea of the land being developed to support community initiatives or facilitate local regeneration – but the Conservative government has been clear that they made their decision on a freight terminal in 2014 and are sticking by it."

A cabinet panel will discuss the next steps of the sale on Thursday, December 1.