Residents of a Garston estate undergoing regeneration works by two housing associations say they are living in “absolute chaos”.

Watford Community Housing Trust and Thrive Homes are separately carrying out work in Boundary Way.

The trust has knocked down garages in the estate on the border of Watford and Three Rivers to build more than 50 new homes and regenerate the green spaces.

Thrive is also working on site to put external wall cladding on their flats and houses.

Resident Mick Fox said residents were living in “total disruption”.

He said: “The estate is in absolute chaos at the moment. We’ve had dust everywhere, in people’s washing on their cars.

“The housing trust’s ground work has taken about three months, it seems they keep having to re-dig this massive hole in the middle of the estate.

“There’s constant disruption. We just feel like no consideration is being given to the tenants and residents of the estate. Everything is going on at once.

“After 6pm the state of parking here is ridiculous.

“It’s not that we don’t expect disruption, but we thought it would be minimal.

“The only responses we seem to get from the housing trust is that they understand but this is the nature of building works. But we have to live here while it’s all going on. We’re not being kept informed.

“It’s a joke – it would be funny but it’s our lives that are being affected. There is hardly a point on this estate that some work isn’t going on.”

Another resident said garden fences were removed by Thrive to accommodate the cladding of homes on the estate and people had to walk under scaffolding and ladders to get anywhere.

Barry Green, who lives in Boundary Way, said: “The estate resembles a building site and the parking conditions for cars and other vehicles are appalling. All of the work is taking place at the same time causing congestion across the already crowded estate with the resulting noise and dust that this involves.

"It's awful. Lorry's are having to park anywhere they can because there is just no room - it's a nightmare."

In a statement, Thrive Homes said: "We are sorry to hear that some residents at Boundary Way are finding the improvement work disruptive.

"Thrive Homes is responsible for the external insulation work which is only affecting a small part of the estate. We have completed this work on all four flat blocks with the remaining individual homes due for completion by early November. This work has been possible as a result of a unique funding partnership between Thrive Homes, Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council. As we carry out this work we are doing what we can to minimise the impact on residents.

"Larger scale regeneration work on the estate is being carried out by Watford Community Housing Trust."

Lisa Cathro, development manager at Watford Community Housing Trust, said: “We are doing our very best to minimise any disruption from the trust’s element of the building works, and to keep residents informed of our progress – for example through newsletters and drop-in meetings. We’d encourage residents to report any concerns they have with us so we can take action.”

Marie Parsons said on behalf of Watford Borough Council: "We are very sorry to hear about this disruption on the estate and will be checking with Thrive Homes and Watford Community Housing Trust to see what can be done."