Residents of housing association bungalows in north Watford are living in fear their homes will be knocked down and replaced by a 32-new home development after Watford Community Housing Trust begin consultation.

The proposals concern 10 bungalows in Hemming Way which the trust has said are too small to meet modern-day space standards and refurbishment does not make financial sense.

But tenants say the development would break up a friendly community which has come to rely on each other for day to day living – and leave residents in their 90s worried about having to move.

Charles John Cain, 96, said he thought he would live out his days in his bungalow after moving there 14 years ago with wife Beryl, 90.

Mr Cain said: "Beryl is not too well and I think a lot of it is due to having to move. At our age you don’t want this hassle.

"I’m convinced all the trust is concerned about is money with these proposals. We’ve been very happy here and we feel so lucky to have such wonderful neighbours – I don’t know what we’d do without them."

Neighbour Doreen Partridge, 66, added: "I wish they’d leave us alone – once we’re gone they can get on with it.

"It was a big shock to hear of the proposals. Everyone is worried about what will happen. There are three people living in their 90s in these bungalows – moving them would be a catastrophe.

"If we had to move, I would miss my neighbours, miss the community – I’ve been on this estate 26 years now.

"My granddaughter lives with me now, since her mother died last year. She loves it here too. We love being in the garden together – I don’t want to give it up."

Gerald Fitzgerald, 73, has lived in his bungalow for seven years and said he’d spend about £20,000 renovating his home and the £4,900 the trust is offering as compensation for moving wouldn’t cover his losses.

He said the trust should have built the new homes where the Leavesden Green Community Hub is and re-built the centre elsewhere in the estate.

Gerald said: "We’re not moving, we’re adamant. We’re not only neighbours here, we’re friends. The trust is going to break up the community.

"None of us want to live in flats. If they take away our gardens, they take away our summers.

"I’ve spend about £20,000 redeveloping the inside of my bungalow and on the garden, £4,900 compensation for having to move doesn’t cover it.

He added: "And if they build 32 new flats here, where is everyone going to park?"

Euan Barr, Head of New Business at Watford Community Housing Trust, said if the development went ahead they would provide one-to-one support to help the residents find a new home.

He said: “We want to make the best use of the land we own to provide more and better affordable homes for both current and future tenants in Watford and Three Rivers.

"We have a proposal to build new homes in Hemming Way and have been speaking to the tenants who may be most directly affected by the development.

"We understand that moving will be difficult for some people and that is why, if we do go ahead, we will provide one-to-one support every step of the way.

"Everyone would all have a choice of a warmer and more spacious home in the new development or we would help them find and move into alternative accommodation that suits their needs.

"We would also offer compensation.  Some of the tenants we have spoken to are feeling positive about the possibility of moving, and if we do go ahead we will support everyone as much as we possibly can.”