FURIOUS villagers condemned plans to build a massive hotel complex on Green Belt land in Bricket Wood as "absolutely disastrous", "horrific" and "sacrilegious" on Tuesday.

More than 200 angry residents packed St Luke's Church hall to voice their concerns at a meeting of the Bricket Wood Residents' Association.

They fear traffic mayhem, plummeting property values and severe drainage problems if the development gets the go-ahead.

The official outline plans for the 22-acre complex, which were on display at the meeting, were greeted with alarm by villagers.

Oakwood Road resident Mr Michael Shrago, who is incensed by proposals to close his road to build an access to the hotel through Old Watford Road, drew applause and cheers from residents.

He said: "The affect on the Bricket Wood area I feel will be absolutely disastrous.

"It's wrong, it's on Green Belt land, in my opinion it's utterly illegal and it must be stopped."

Speaking after the meeting, he added: "I've been advised by estate agents that my property value will fall by £50,000 if this goes ahead because it will become an industrial area."

Suspicions were aroused when it was revealed that two houses in Oakwood Road have been bought by Stimpsons Chartered Surveyors, on behalf of a "confidential client."

Several other residents in the road have received offers from the company.

Bricket Wood is already saturated by traffic and could not cope with additional congestion generated by the development, according to residents.

One villager said: "At the moment traffic in Bricket Wood is intolerable. You can't get out in the morning or back in the evening."

The village is situated at the busiest junction of motorways in Europe and could not cope with extra traffic, claimed St Albans district councillor Aislinn Lee.

One Bricket Wood resident claimed the site, which lies between the M25 and the A405, is a flood plain and that developing it would cause massive drainage problems.

He said: "The sewerage system is archaic God knows what would happen if this thing goes ahead."

Many villagers also fear intrusions into their privacy as the development includes a four-storey 250-bed hotel, a 750-seat conference centre, a 68-bed staff accommodation block and 500 car parking spaces.

Mr Bernard Cleary, of Oakwood Road, said: "We will be overlooked by this hotel."

A Garnett Road resident described the development as "sacrilegious" and claimed it was in breach of residents' human rights.

District councillor Susan Carr said: "I think the council has under-estimated the strength of feeling of local people and how vehemently contested this hotel will be."

BWRA planning leader Ms Anne Morton added: "If St Albans wants to retain its individual character from Watford, it must retain the land in between."

St Stephen parish councillor Joy Stevens urged residents to take immediate action.

She said: "Do not forget what you are fighting for.

"Don't leave it to someone else to do you have got to all write individually to the council."

Comments on the plans, which will be considered by the district council in February, must be submitted to by the end of January.

December 14, 2001 15:00