The MP for St Albans is furious after discovering a decision to remove 9,000 tonnes of “monstrous” waste from a country lane has been delayed.

Hertfordshire County Council issued an enforcement notice in October, 2016 ordering removal of all rubbish from the Appspond Lane waste site.

The landowner subsequently lodged an appeal and a public inquiry was scheduled for December 2017.

However, the four - day appeal will now not be heard until July 10, owing to the ill health of one of the county council’s expert witnesses on the environment.

But the delay has angered Anne Main MP, who said: “We cannot let this go as the Appspond Lane problem has been rumbling on for years.

“When we are considering the green belt in the local plan, we must remember that parts of it are blighted by eyesores.

“There is still 9,000 tonnes on the site and the slow progress is simply unacceptable.

“The site is not only a monstrous blight on the green belt, but it’s a fire hazard.”

Cllr Derrick Ashley, who represents the environment at Hertfordshire County Council, responded: “We are committed to trying to ensure that all of the waste material on the site at Appspond Lane is removed.

“Although the public inquiry was originally scheduled to take place back in December, it was beyond our control that this this had to be postponed.

“The next date that all parties could make was in July 2018, when we will robustly argue that our enforcement action was necessary and that the waste needs to be removed.

“We understand the frustrations that it is taking this long.

“We had hoped to agree this without going down the formal enforcement route, but were unable to progress this with the site owner.”

The public inquiry will be held at County Hall.