Covid-19 has made us all realise that family, friends, communities and outside space are vital to our mental health and overall well-being.

The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 and tower blocks of the 1960s taught us that high-rise living can be hazardous and unhealthy.

The former, but not the latter, came too late to save hundreds from the isolation and potential dangers of high-rise living in Watford.

The new development at Ascot Road (ex Post Office sorting office), will be blighted by blocks of flats in close proximity to each other, which even at this early stage of development, dwarf the tiny Ascot Road Community Free School nearby.

The planning application, which was approved by Watford Council in October 2017 (post Grenfell), gave permission for five tower blocks, of which, one is apparently 23 storeys high (seven storeys higher than the Meriden Estate flats).

I expected significant opposition to this development, 256 letters in total. Parking in West Watford and the local area is already strained. Infrastructure improvements appear not to have been factored in (these will presumably fall to Herts County Council to resolve).

Baffling however, were the 87 letters of support. 68 of them lived no-where remotely nearby, coming mainly from North Watford.

Why were so many people, living mainly in houses, so happy to support an application which condemns hundreds to high rise living?

Was it NIMBYism or an orchestrated call to arms, to supporters of the Liberal Democrats in Watford?

Not one supporter gave sound, comprehensive reasons for their submission.

WAKE UP Watford.

Sue Robb

Oaklands Avenue, Watford