RAIL freight developers Helioslough have threatened to issue Judicial Review proceedings themselves if they don’t get a decision on their application for the former Radlett Airfield in Park Street by next week.

In what will be seen as tit for tat by the developers, they have warned Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, that they too will seek a Judicial Review if they are not told when a decision will be taken on their application.

It follows St Albans council’s decision to seek a Judicial Review over a decision by Mr Pickles in early December not to go ahead with a conjoined inquiry between the Park Street scheme and a similar proposal for Colnbrook in Slough.

A week later, Mr Pickles announced that he was “minded” to approve the Radlett Airfield development subject to planning agreements.

Last month Helioslough urged Mr Pickles to ignore the move by St Albans council and push ahead with a final decision on the site regardless.

But they did not get a response by the April 3 deadline they demanded and have now said that unless they get feedback within seven days of the most recent letter dated April 15, they will be issuing Judicial Review proceedings.

St Albans MP Anne Main said this week: “The developers continue to try and bulldoze this development through with no regard for local residents or due process.

“They have ramped up their threats to the Secretary of State trying to force a green light for their plans. We are still awaiting a decision on whether there will be a Judicial Review on the Secretary of State’s decision not to conjoin the Radlett and Colnbrook inquires and I do not think it is right for the developer to seek to get the go ahead before this has been decided.”

She added: “I urge the Secretary of State to resist these heavy handed tactics by the developers and to take the time he needs to see that this rail freight terminal is wrong for Radlett and the whole of St Albans.”