The importance of the proposed health campus to the town outweighs the concerns of allotment holders, the Watford MP says.

Farm Terrace allotment holders have vowed to chain themselves to railings at the site if their High Court bid to stop the bulldozers from moving in fails.

Conservative MP Richard Harrington believes the benefits the project would bring to the town outweigh the concerns of a few residents.

He said: "My understanding is the judicial review can postpone rather than prevent the development. I think it will happen.

"At the end of the day, government - at all levels, local and national - sometimes has to put the general public interest over that of a few people, however difficult it is for those people.

"Providing the allotment holders have been provided, as they have, with suitable alternatives and other things, the council is quite right to look at the general interest.

"This project will be so fantastic and bring one of the last bits of the town, in one of the poorest wards in the east of England, up to a modern spec and a lot of value to people who live in the area."

Mr Justice Ouseley is expected to return his decision in the coming weeks after campaigners successfully called for a judicial review. 

Allotment tenants’ spokesman Sara Jane Trebar said it was their duty as custodians of Farm Terrace to protect the land for community use.

She said: "This is hugely significant to the people of Watford. It’s community land and should remain as such for future residents.

"We have had so much support from residents around the town; the only people that appear to question our fight are local politicians."

The regeneration plans would provide new homes and businesses, leaving space to upgrade and expand Watford General Hospital.