An information meeting for local residents about plans for a rail freight depot at Park Street is being held early next month.

It has been organised by SOS - Save Our St-Albans - to update residents about the battle to prevent a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) being built on the former Radlett Airfield.

St Albans council is still in the process of pursuing legal action over the decision by former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, to grant planning permission to Helioslough to build an SRFI.

Should that fail, the ball will be in the court of Herts county council which owns a large part of the site and would have to decide whether or not to sell it to Helioslough.

Andy Love, of SOS, said: “Residents’ well-being appears to have been of a low priority throughout the process – SRFI in a city and district with a population in excess of 140,000 – we feel this is irresponsible.”

He said there were numerous issues that affected residents including pollution, traffic congestion, the impact on house prices, the future expansion of the road network, the construction period and the likely disruption to the Midland Mainline and the Thameslink line.

The meeting is open to all and is being held at 7.45pm on Thursday, July 9, at Orton Hall in Greenwood Park, Chiswell Green. The local action group STRiFE - Stop The Rail Freight Exchange - will be represented.

Questions for the meeting should be sent in advance to info@strife.biz and a selection will be discussed on the night.