Rival bids for former Radlett Aerodrome site
Harrow Estates, part of Redrow, and Taylor Wimpey have lodged "expressions of interest" with Hertfordshire County Council over the site of the former Radlett Aerodrome. Taylor Wimpey has put forward plans for a 2,000-home garden village, including park and ride facility, a new station and the possibility of an additional busway or light railway. Harrow Estates proposal is of a "similar size". Currently, a "strategic rail-freight terminal" remains the only consented use for the land.

Two rival bids have emerged to build a garden village on a site where a developer already intends to create a 3.5m sq ft rail freight centre.

Both Taylor Wimpey and Harrow Estates – part of Redrow – have lodged expressions of interest with Hertfordshire County Council, owner of 119 ha at the former Radlett Aerodrome.

Developer Segro, which is promoting the rail freight interchange, owns part of the site and won planning permission in 2014 when then communities secretary Eric Pickles ruled that the project’s economic importance overrode green belt protections.

Rail freight interchanges are intended to reduce traffic by enabling goods to move from trains to lorries, so the bulk of journeys are by rail and only local deliveries by road.

Local planning authority St Albans City & District Council was refused permission for a court challenge in July 2015, ending a lengthy legal battle over the site.

Taylor Wimpey’s expression of interest is for a 2,000-home garden village, including a park and ride facility for some 500 cars and a new station. The company has also raised the possibility of a guided busway or light railway being added to the development.

It has proposed to form a 50:50 joint venture with Hertfordshire County Council to carry out the scheme.

Harrow Estates’ garden village proposal would be of a similar size, managing director Mike Riding said.

Radlett Aerodome_Taylor Wimpey site The 119 ha former airfield site

The company is drafting a design framework “not dissimilar” to its current redevelopment of the former Woodford Aerodrome in Cheshire, Mr Riding added.

A Segro spokesperson said: “We are aware that the council has been investigating alternative uses for the land at the former airfield and quarry,” adding that the strategic rail freight terminal “remains the only consented scheme for the land”.

The aerodrome closed in 1970. Part of the site was later used for gravel extraction, but has been restored.