Compared to a planning meeting I attended a couple of weeks ago, Wednesday night’s council committee was a rather more sedate affair.

Gone was the chattering throng in the public gallery, hurling impassioned objections and interjections at every opportunity, determined to stop developers constructing a metal monolith in Ascot Road.

Instead the benches were empty and councillors were free to pass judgment on the proposals at hand, free from interruption.

It may surprise you then to discover that the main items on the two agendas at the two different meetings were not entirely dissimilar.

This was not a meeting closed to members of the public. So why the lack of public interest?

As you will see from our front page story this week, and from the additional info on page five, Clarendon Road is currently undergoing a massive overhaul.

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Over a 15-year period, the area near Watford Junction station will be completely transformed into a bustling hub of commuting and commerce. Or at least that is what the developers are hoping.

So while objectors could reasonably argue against the 23-storey tower block in Ascot Road, stating it was out of keeping with the rest of the area, no such position could be rationalised in this case.

But after kicking up such a fuss when the proposal was first put forward, namely in relation to the demolition of two historic villas, the Victorian Society was conspicuous in its absence.

It would appear from this showing that Clarendon Road is marching steadily and unerringly towards its final destination. Whether this is a good thing or not, only time will tell.