Marketing of the site earmarked for a massive rail freight depot has produced ‘some interest’ the leader of Herts county council has told a local campaigner.

Cllr Robert Gordon described the marketing of the former Radlett Airfield in Park Street where Helioslough has planning permission for a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) as being carried out reluctantly by the county council.

But he has remained tight-lipped abut whether he anticipates a viable alternative proposal coming forward for the site, much of which is owned by the county council which will have to decide at some stage whether or not to sell to Helioslough.

So far no offer for the land has been received from Helioslough or any other party.

Cllr Gordon was responding to correspondence from local anti-railfreight campaigner Andy Love about surveillance activity on the A414 close to the the proposed site entrance to the SRFI which had led residents to wonder whether the rail freight development was a certainty.

He confirmed that the work was being carried out by Helioslough and allowed them to ‘set up a compound within that area to effect trial pits/boreholes across the whole area of the HCC land that has permission for development’.

Cllr Gordon confirmed that Helioslough would have to backfill and make good any damage caused and said that the county c ouncil would give similar consent to any other interested party as part of their ‘due diligence’ prior to making any offer.