Q&A

This is a complex and wide-ranging construction project, and it is not feasible to provide a detailed commentary on every aspect of the works. However, once the construction schedule is finalised and the main works start in the summer, we will provide more information than is currently available, as well as drawings and plans. We are looking at a number of tools which will enable people to drill down into the detail more easily. In the meantime, we will continue to provide high-level information and update the key dates and Q&A section, as well as notifying residents directly in relation to any specific programmes taking place close to their properties. Users can also set up their own alerts and in addition we will notify parties who have requested updates as and when changes are made to save them the time of continual checking.

Prior to the main construction works we have commenced works to prepare the site. These include survey works, tree and scrub removals, establishment of the main compound and localised earthworks in Area 2.

The construction work will start in Summer 2024. We expect the main earthworks, infrastructure, highways and utility work to be completed by December 2027. It is anticipated that the buildings will be constructed between 2026 and 2030, but the specific timings are dependent on when we agree the leases with occupiers.

Noise and dust monitoring requirements have been agreed with the local authorities and will be implemented throughout the project. Standard measures will be put in place to minimise light pollution to residents and local ecology. This will enable us to take steps to address any issues should they occur. If you have any concerns please contact us through our enquiry form. 

We anticipate that we will start building the first of the warehouses in 2026. We are likely to adopt a pre-let approach, which means that we will only start building a warehouse once we have a customer to occupy it. This approach means that we cannot provide specific timescales for occupation at this time. It is also worth noting that no warehouses can be occupied until the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange is capable of operation, which will not be until late 2026.

We are aware of the listed Second World War Alan Williams gun turret to the south of the A414. The turret is located on land owned by the highways authority and falls outside of the works area for SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett. It will therefore not be affected by the development. It is our intention in due course to contact St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society, and potentially any other relevant authorities, to see if there are any opportunities to help preserve, protect and promote this rare and poignant reminder of world events.

Much of the hoarding has been erected so that it can remain in place until the works are completed for safety and security reasons. This is normal for major construction projects of this type. Some sections may require removal earlier to enable construction activities.

If you have any queries relating to SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett you should contact SEGRO directly via the enquiry form. We have a dedicated public liaison officer who will endeavour to respond to your query within 72 hours.

We are adopting a community first approach, which means that we want our neighbours to be aware of what we are doing before we start doing it. 

We anticipate that this website will be a key source of information for local people and we are committed to keeping it up to date throughout the delivery of the project.

In addition to this we will be communicating directly with immediate neighbours about specific works that is close to their property or impact their daily lives. 

The creation of a development such as SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett is a significant and complex undertaking, and while we will take every practical step to minimise disruption we understand that our neighbours may still have some concerns.

If you have concerns, please send your thoughts using our enquiry form. We aim to respond to all queries within 72 hours.

In addition to the website and our dedicated public liaison officer, we intend to use various methods to share information with the community, including letter drops, home visits, local magazines such as the PSRA title, emails to key stakeholder groups and a new Community Liaison Group.

We are consulting with Hertfordshire County Council and relevant user / community groups in relation to the public rights of way across the site. This covers the temporary diversions that will be required during construction works and the 17km of footpaths, bridleways, nature trails and multiuser routes that will be created and improved as part of the completed development. At all times safety of the users will be paramount. Please see the upcoming works section for details of where we may be affecting public rights of way in the near future.

Network Rail owns and develops the UK’s rail infrastructure and is required to balance the interests of both passenger and freight operations. We have liaised closely with Network Rail to plan for the creation of the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange and will continue to work with them in relation to the works to link the terminal into the rail network.

Network Rail will manage and communicate these works in the same way as any other upgrade to the rail network with an aim of keeping disruption to a minimum.

Regarding the operation of freight trains, paths will be made available by Network Rail in agreement with train operating companies and the freight operating companies.  It is anticipated that these paths will be outside peak times so will not disrupt key morning and evening commuter services.

Yes. None of the units can be occupied until the terminal is capable of operation.

Trains will enter from the south and also depart from the terminal in a southerly direction. London is the hub from where the network branches out to serve all of the key routes around the country, and many of the key container ports (London Gateway, Southampton and Felixstowe) would also be accessed to the south.

No, the terminal is for freight trains only and will not have any of the infrastructure required for passenger trains.

The nearest stations are Park Street and How Wood along with the two St Albans stations. The travel plan envisages connectivity to the stations in St Albans by shuttle bus and the provision of pool bikes for example at Park Street. There will be no passenger train facilities at SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett.

Throughout the planning process we have worked closely with Network Rail to ensure the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange can be accommodated within both the physical constraints of the network and the likely passenger train timetable constraints. At all stages Network Rail has approved our plans.

Network Rail is required to balance the interests of both passenger and freight services and will work with passenger and freight train operators to agree train paths to service the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Radlett. There is no reason to believe that it cannot be integrated and become a welcome addition to the rail freight network serving London, the South East and the country as a whole.

The Midland Mainline is part of the Strategic Freight Network and is used to carry passengers and freight.

Like the majority of the rail network it is not gauge cleared to W10 / 12 standards. This does not mean that freight trains can’t use it, it just means that freight operators need to use combinations of low wagons or smaller containers.

Network Rail has plans to upgrade the gauge of Midland Mainline to the south of Radlett and once this work is completed it will make rail freight operations to and from Radlett easier to manage.

Only a small percentage (c. 5%) of freight trains in the UK are hauled by electric locomotives. This is because many of the routes that freight trains need to take have not been electrified and therefore diesel locomotives are the only option. The southern end of the Midland Main Line has been electrified already and as more of the network is upgraded in the future there is potentially more opportunity to increase the number of freight trains powered by electric. We will not be installing electric wires at the terminal at this stage, however, we will not do anything now that precludes them from being installed in the future should circumstances change.

The Section 106 agreement specifies an indexed sum of money to be paid to HCC that is ring fenced for Park Street station improvements. These are improvements to passenger facilities and the street layout in the vicinity of the station. SEGRO has no say in how the money is spent to deliver these improvements.

SEGRO is investing tens of millions of pounds on the Park Street / Frogmore relief road, the main access roundabout, the Park Street roundabout , the London Colney roundabout and works to J21a and J22 of the M25. There will be no requirement for Hertfordshire County Council funding

To give an indication of the costs involved, the Park Street / Frogmore Relief road excluding any consideration for the land will cost in the order of £22m as a standalone project.

During late 2023 and early 2024 we started the necessary tree and scrub removal works and tree pollarding, including along the A414 corridor to allow for the highways works and construction of the new site access. The majority of construction traffic will enter and leave via the A414.

There is a requirement to have some low-volume access from the east and southern parts of the existing highway network to provide temporary access for the construction of the jack box (the concrete structure that will form the tunnel under the railway), which is programmed to be completed by December 2024. The use of the route from Shenley Lane via Barley Mow Farm was granted as part of the land purchase from Hertfordshire Country Council. It is also intended to be used for a limited number of HGV deliveries which will be supported by temporary traffic controls and banksmen supervision.

SEGRO was also conveyed rights of access along Benningfield Drive - a bridleway with rights of access to landowners along the lane. We understand access arrangements are similar to those in place for Springfield Farm, Tarmac, Network Rail and the fishing club which also use the bridleway for vehicle access. SEGRO will keep site access via these routes to a minimum as most of our plant and people enter via the main A414 access point.
Once the rail underpass is in place it will form a route from the main development side of the railway to allow construction vehicles access to finish the landscape screens. Local residents and users have been and will continue to be informed in advance of these requirements.
Hertfordshire County Council is aware of various access rights SEGRO and our contractors have in relation to the development. These are private rights to use land and are not in breach of the Road Traffic Act.

The main construction compound, which is accessed directly off the A414, will have ample parking for the employees.

As part of the planning permission, SEGRO modelled the anticipated road vehicle movements and designed a number of enhancements to the road network to accommodate the vehicles expected to use SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett.

The highway authorities (Hertfordshire County Council and National Highways) have been consulted at all stages of the planning process and as with any scheme of this size and complexity there will be ongoing discussions with them to secure technical approval and adoption of the detailed design.

Our highways consultant WSP has confirmed that the traffic flow data on the surrounding network (M25, A414, A405 and Watling Street A5183) used to inform the designs for which we have secured planning permission still remains robust.  

SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett will have its own business conduct standards and will have strict operational arrangements with customers to ensure vehicles enter and leave the site within defined times to ensure goods are transferred efficiently.

The Draft Travel and Freight Monitoring and Management Plan includes maximum targets for peak hour HGV movements of 202 per hour 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm. For those vehicles that are coming to the site, there will be HGV parking provided at the logistics buildings and for the Strategic Rail Freight terminal.

It is worth noting that within a 25 mile radius of Radlett there are 17 designated truck stops – the nearest are Flamstead (M1) to the north and South Mimms (M25) to the south. 

In an emergency situation, as well as the HGV parking provided for the logistics buildings, there is the ability for HGV to use the private perimeter estate road that serves SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett. This could accommodate circa 200 HGV's.

The proposals for the Park Street roundabout include partial signalisation and measures to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The traffic will also be helped by the relief road which will take pressure off the A5183 through Park Street.

The rail freight terminal and individual buildings will have welfare facilities available for the use of drivers along with significant levels of HGV parking provision.

In addition there are 17 truck stops within a 25 mile radius of Radlett.

In both cases the speed limits will be determined by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) in liaison with our highways consultant WSP as part of the technical approval process.

The current speed limit on the A414 is 70mph. WSP is in discussion with HCC about the appropriate speed limit for the relief road where the parties are considering 40mph or 50 mph for the majority of the distance with 30mph close to the southern roundabout.

There are no plans to carry out new surveys. Our highways consultant, WSP, has reviewed the traffic data on the surrounding network (M25 ,A414 ,A405 and Park Street) and it is consistent with that used to inform our highway designs that have been granted planning permission. Hertfordshire County Council has been consulted throughout the design development process and is aware of the position.

There are no plans to install a new bridge over the M25. The Park Street / Frogmore bypass design provides a link to the A5183 immediately to the north of the existing bridge over the M25. In agreement with Hertfordshire County Council, this solution will be less disruptive for road users than constructing a new bridge over the M25.

The intention is to install a CCTV system on the estate with cameras strategically located adjacent to plot entrances. The CCTV system will be capable of being monitored remotely.

This is an approach to security and surveillance that we have used elsewhere in our portfolio which has proven to be effective.

The UK road network is often busy and some disruption as a result of the roadworks cannot be avoided. However, every effort will be made to minimise the impacts on journey times.

Other useful websites for traffic information:

• www.hertfordshire.gov.uk
• www.trafficengland.com
• www.roadworks.org

We will publish details of roadworks on this website.

Other useful websites for traffic information:

• www.hertfordshire.gov.uk
• www.trafficengland.com
• www.roadworks.org

There are specific processes to follow for companies such as SEGRO which need to undertake works to the road network or require closures or controls to be put in place. We will liaise with National Highways and Hertfordshire County Council – which manage the roads where we will be undertaking works – to enable them to coordinate them as best as possible with other roadworks in the vicinity of the project.

We have given this serious consideration and have explored options with a number of our advisors. The location of the roads for which we have planning approval were included as part of the original planning applications in relation to the SRFI scheme as far back as March 2009. They have been thoroughly tested through all stages of the planning process. It would not be possible at this stage to change such core elements of the scheme for which we have planning permission without causing unacceptable time delays or having a disproportionately high adverse impact on our costs. Seeking an alternative route now could also compromise the overall planning permission which would not be acceptable to us.

The S106 agreement specifies an indexed sum of money to be paid by SEGRO to HCC for Park Street/ Frogmore Environmental Improvements to include:

• Traffic management measures to be introduced to restrict Heavy Goods Vehicles from using the A5183 in the vicinity of Park Street / Frogmore save those vehicles delivering to addresses in the vicinity of Park Street / Frogmore
• Traffic calming measures
• Footway widening
• Associated townscape and landscape work to improve the environment and residential amenity.

This money is ring fenced for this purpose and SEGRO has no say how these improvements are made or delivered.

The new layout does provide for some limited new public car parking bays immediately alongside Radlett Road, however, our highway consultant is in discussions with HCC on the precise arrangements for these. 

Where can people find out more information about SEGRO’s plans?   

The links below take you to the St Albans Planning portal where the Reserved Matters applications are available:

• stalbans.gov.uk - Planning Application 5/2016/3006 

• stalbans.gov.uk - Planning Application 5/2017/1938   

• stalbans.gov.uk - Planning Application 5/2017/1995 

There will be a vegetation-covered earth mound or bund around the site that will separate the warehouses and Strategic Rail Freight Interchange from neighbouring residential properties. The bund is designed to be the optimum size to reduce visual impact while not being overbearing itself. The planning permission includes a detailed specification of the bund.

In terms of visual impact, the SRFI will be screened from most viewpoints by existing and proposed landscape features such as bunds and structured woodland planting. Drawings are available in Planning Application 5/2017/1995. We are looking to produce a simplified drawing of the bund heights which will be published in due course.  

The bund will be constructed using earth that will be excavated on site to create the level base for the rail terminal and buildings to sit on. The excavation of these materials is in the first phase of work and also means the excess earth doesn’t need to be removed from site via HGVs. We will work with our contractors to plan the most efficient and effective phasing of the bund construction. We will look to seed the bund and carry out the required planting in the earliest planting season available.  

We were required to address the impact of our development activities on air quality as part of our planning application. These submissions have been examined by the relevant authorities and permission has been granted in acknowledgement that air quality concerns have been addressed.

As part of the reserved matters planning submission an external lighting strategy (application ref 5/2017/0871) has been produced with careful consideration of the site layout and landscaping to minimise the lighting impact from the development. The current scheme has been modelled to assess the noise impacts (application ref. 5/2016/2963). The impacts were first identified and addressed at the outline stage with mitigation measures put in place including the earth bunds.

Noise from the Park Street relief road and southern access roundabout has been assessed (in the latter case see Southern Access Roundabout and Relief Road Alignment note submitted with application ref .5/2017/1938) and the overall detailed design has provided for acoustic fencing to be provided to deliver mitigation. Any visual impact will, where possible, be softened by sympathetic soft landscaping. We will be working with our contractors to make sure mitigation and monitoring is in place during the construction phases.

Our planning permission includes conditions relating to noise and light that SEGRO and its customers will adhere to. For full details:

• Noise – condition 25 of the outline planning permission
• Light – condition 29 of the outline planning permission

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to deliver SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett without removing a number of trees and other vegetation across the site. The trees that need to be removed have all been identified and approved as part of the planning permission. 

During late 2023 and early 2024 we will start the necessary tree and scrub removal works and tree pollarding to avoid the bird nesting season. This will be along the A414 corridor in areas to allow for the highways works and construction of the new site access.

As part of the development we will be planting 4,250 trees and 132,050 tree whips.

We will be working with an ecological consultant and Natural England to ensure that we deliver the project in a way which minimises the impact on wildlife. For example we will be removing trees and vegetation in the winter months outside the bird nesting season. We will also adhere to all relevant environmental regulations that anyone undertaking development activities is required to do, for example the management of protected species.

The planning permission contains conditions relating to contamination which we will need to adhere to. It includes a requirement to put in place an appropriate remediation and monitoring strategy for the River Ver Chalk stream. This strategy is currently under development and will be shared and implemented ahead of the start of construction activities. Our strategy will be developed after consultation with the Environment Agency. 

Our landscaping contractor has a period of guarantee whereby any items that perish must be replaced. Following that guarantee period the green spaces come under SEGRO’s general maintenance plan, which will include the replacing perished trees.  

The planning approval allows for clearance of identified trees, hedges and vegetation necessary to allow construction of the main development and infrastructure. The clearance works are carried out by specialist contractors under supervision of ecologists. It is our intention that any trees that fall outside the essential work areas are not removed.

As part of the development, we will be planting 4,250 trees and 132,050 tree whips. We will also be creating habitat ponds for invertebrates and for acid grassland to be translocated. New, protected habitats will be created within the proposed Community Forest/Country Park  and the implementation of the agreed Countryside Management Plan will enhance biodiversity and improve natural habitats for the benefit of locally important wildlife sites including the Ver Valley Meadows. The scheme provides for improved ecological management of the Rivers Ver and Colne, which are an integral part of this landscape.

Our section 106 agreement, which forms part of our planning permission, includes provisions relating to the service charge arrangements to be put in place for the long term funding of the Country Park. Any funding shortfall must be covered by SEGRO.

More information about the country park plans can be found here. 

Since acquiring the land, we have engaged in a constructive conversation with the farmer at Hedges Farm and have an agreement in place for him to continue farming the land. We also have plans to replace the old farm buildings with new, modern sustainable barns to help enable the farming enterprise to be even more successful in the future.