PARK Street residents turned out in force at St Albans District Council on Monday in a failed bid to prevent more lorries from blighting their village.

Some 20 members of Loops Lorries Out Of Park Street picketed the plans south committee meeting as they attempted to dissuade councillors from granting permission for another distribution centre in the area.

Armed with placards the protesters, headed by Mrs Karen DuGard, spoke of their horror that council officers supported the redevelopment of the Colney Street site that they say will bring even more misery to residents living on the A5183.

Addressing councillors at the meeting, Mr Nick DuGard, Loops campaigner and Park Street resident, said: "The current volumes of HGV traffic passing through Park Street, Frogmore and Colney Street are totally unacceptable and by approving yet another distribution facility you will be adding to an already unrestricted traffic condition.

"We believe, as the local residents do, that it is only a matter of time before there are fatalities on this stretch of road."

The applicants Bilton want to redevelop land at Old Parkerbury Lane into a 25,000sq metre industrial, warehousing and distribution centre, signalling another increase in the number of HGV lorries using the narrow stretch of road.

Although members expressed sympathy for the plight of local residents, they were warned by the council's head of planning Dean Goodman that a refusal to grant permission for the redevelopment may have costly repercussions.

Stressing that the site lay within a designated employment area, he said: "We must look towards approving this item unless there are sound reasons for refusal. If we were to refuse permission on any grounds that were not sustainable it will bring the council into disrepute and the council may incur costs for unreasonable behaviour."

Park Street Councillor Aislinn Lee called for the area to be designated for housing. rather than industrial use to minimise traffic congestion, but admitted that this was a longer-term solution.

But a defiant Mrs DuGard refused to be disheartened by the decision to grant planning permission, warning that Loops would continue to campaign vehemently against future applications for distribution centres in the area.

She said: "The decision was a whitewash but not really unexpected.

"The council have to realise that they have wider responsibilities than commercial development and must listen to and act upon the views of the local community."

December 12, 2001 18:00