A SECOND battle is under way to stop Redbourn being 'turned into a town' with the building of a motorway service station.

Residents are being urged to turn out in force on Monday night when St Albans District council's plans north sub-committee will consider an application by Swayfields Limited for a service area on land east of Junction 9 of the M1 close to the village.

Redbourn Parish Council has distributed flyers to homes throughout the village informing them of the latest plans.

Developers want to build a modern motorway service area incorporating a Travel Lodge, family restaurant, shop, tourist information point and petrol station. But parish council clerk Diane Whiskin said: 'These proposals would be a nightmare for the village.

'The site is a mile north of the Redbourn and by allowing the motorway service station to be built, councillors would give a green light to developers wishing to extend the village and turn it into a town.'

St Albans District Council officers have recommended that the proposals to build the service station be refused.

But the parish council, which spearheaded the pressure group, Redbourn Together, is hoping that people power will force the applicants to think twice before appealing against the decision.

Mrs Whiskin added: 'We want all the residents to come to the meeting to show solidarity and support for the district council's decision.

'We haven't done too much yet except make residents aware, but we are sure there will be an appeal and that is when things will swing into action.'

This is the second time that the village has had to fight plans for a service station. Two years ago they successfully defeated proposals by Hallam Land Management to build a similar development next to St Mary's Church.

Ms Sally Yates, who successfully led the last campaign against the proposed service station, is livid that this company has been allowed to submit almost identical plans.

She said: 'This new site is about a mile from the village, and away from the church, but in every other way it is the same.

'We fought the plans on the grounds that the development would be on Green Belt land, would increase traffic to the village and would only be accessible through the Junction 9 sliproad which already has a history of accidents.'

Another former campaigner, Ms Wendy Morgan, said she expected a new plan to be submitted.

She said: 'Two representatives from Swayfields attended the public inquiry over the last lot of plans two years ago, so we knew this would happen again.'

The meeting will be held at Redbourn Village Hall in High Street at 7pm on Monday.