A PROPOSED rail freight terminal on Green Belt land in Park Street has been called a greenwash by St Albans MP Anne Main. She raised the issue during a parliamentary debate on the Energy Bill yesterday (Monday) and hit out at the lack of environmentally

A PROPOSED rail freight terminal on Green Belt land in Park Street has been called a "greenwash" by St Albans MP Anne Main.

She raised the issue during a parliamentary debate on the Energy Bill yesterday (Monday) and hit out at the lack of environmentally-friendly credentials in Helioslough's proposal.

Mrs Main complained that the developers refer to it as a 'green initiative' even though there were no plans for water recycling or energy-generating measures - such as solar panels - at the site if it got the go-ahead.

She said that represented a "scandal and a huge wasted opportunity."

As a result of her intervention, it emerged that Germany, France, Japan, Spain, Norway, America and Korea all outperformed the UK on solar panel installation.

Upon leaving the chamber, Anne said: "I felt it was important to demonstrate the greenwash which Helioslough are applying to their scheme.

"They are constantly telling us that this is a green proposal, but yet they have made very little provision to actually use green technologies. In light of this week's events in Copenhagen this is particularly important.

"Large industrial sites use a great deal of energy, and it is vital that new proposals include appropriate green provisions to ensure that every possible attempt is made to reduce the carbon emissions they produce. If they are not, any proposals should be rejected until more environmentally-friendly measures are included."

She added: "I have seen no evidence that Helioslough are committed to any such provisions and I think that any claim that they are is pure greenwash.