PLANS for a £300 million railfreight depot, slammed by critics as likely to bring traffic chaos to roads around St Albans, were unveiled this week.

Would-be developer Helioslough has exhibited its plans for a huge goods yard, complete with sidings and five large warehouses, to the public, councillors and the St Albans Observer yesterday.

The location on the former Radlett Aerodrome, between Park Street and the main St Albans to London railway line, is Green Belt land but the project's backers believe their forthcoming planning application will have an overwhelming case.

The Government, keen to get freight off the roads, has said it wants four major goods terminals around the M25, one in each quadrant. Helioslough rejected 200 alternatives before deciding on the former aerodrome.

Helioslough spokesman Simon Hoare said: "It is a large, flat site, close to a main-line railway, a motorway, and a strategic A-road, the A414."

Up to 12 trains a day, mainly carrying imported goods from British ports but possibly including direct services from Europe, would unload there.

Up to 1,500 lorries will enter and leave the depot every day to ferry the goods, mostly consumer items like clothes and food, to destinations in the Home Counties.

At present such imports are handled by a depot in Daventry, Northamptonshire, and Helioslough argues it would be much better for them to be transported shorter distances from a location such as Park Street.

A team of experts have spent two-and-a-half years anticipating the likely objections, including noise, traffic, the impact on passenger trains, ecology and landscape, and have responses at their fingertips.

The lorries will enter and leave the depot by a new roundabout on the A414, between the existing Park Street and London Colney junctions, and the development will include a new road linking this to the A5183 south of Park Street.

The company claims this will reduce vehicle movements through Park Street from the current figure of 14,500 a day to 2,500 a day.

Lorries leaving the freight terminal would join the M1 via the Park Street roundabout and the M10, while the M25 could be accessed either at Junction 21A (Bricket Wood) or 22 (London Colney).

Objectors say both the Park Street and London Colney A414 roundabouts are already very busy, but the company claims it would improve capacity with better lay-outs and more sophisticated traffic lights.

The lorry movements would be spread out over 24 hours, with the busiest time in the mid-afternoon, minimising the impact on the rush hour.

The depot will be screened by landscaped earthworks which would, it is claimed, absorb more than half the noise of the M25 motorway.

The former aerodrome is being partially quarried for sand and gravel under an agreement which envisages its restoration as a 400-acre country park.

Helioslough would provide a larger 614-acre country park, although this figure includes existing rural areas near the aerodrome which the company says would get improved public access and enhancements for wildlife.

But campaigners resolutely opposed to the plans demonstrated yesterday outside the Comfort Hotel on Holywell Hill, St Albans, where Helioslough exhibited it plans.

Campaigner Karen Dugard said: "We don't want these things they are offering. We are losing farmland and sheep how can a freight terminal replace them? We are in a village we don't want to be in an industrial area."

Opponents have already gathered 600 signatures for a petition.