A neighbour fears the picturesque character of a conservation area will be “damaged” if plans to replace cottages with 40 retirement homes are approved.

Developers McCarthy and Stone propose to replace the homes in Hempstead Road, Kings Langley, with a new housing complex.

An application was submitted to Dacorum Borough Council’s planning committee yesterday and a decision will be made in a few months’ time.

Paul Rees, who lives in The Common, believes the plans will “ruin” the wildlife-rich conservation area, which is located nearby, and also lead to overdevelopment.

He said: “It is a sad time for our village, as it has been confirmed that developers, McCarthy and Stone, have formally submitted their plans to cram 40 retirement homes on a green and wildlife-rich site next to the lower common conservation area, where currently there are just four homes.

“Among many other things, the development would damage the character of our precious conservation area for good, exacerbate existing local parking problems, put pressure on our local GP practices, and create an accident black spot along the Hempstead Road, near the Methodist church.

“The development would also be the thin end of the wedge, in that it would accelerate Kings Langley's drift towards becoming a built up, urbanised area.”

A spokesperson for McCarthy and Stone said there is “no perceived risk” to the conservation area or the infrastructure in the village.

They said: “We are aware that there are concerns about the location of the site in relation to the Conservation Area. The development is adjoining a conservation area, not in the area itself, and we are keen to maintain the leafy feel of the village through enhanced landscaping and planting across the site. Ecology and arboriculture reports have been submitted as part of the planning application documents, which find that there are no ecological constraints on the site in terms of wildlife, trees or plants, and recommend precautionary measures that would potentially enhance the ecology on the site. The reports also highlight that, while there are designated sites for nature conservation in the local area, there is ‘no perceived risk of impacts as a result of the proposed works and therefore, no need for mitigation measures’.

“Our plans would provide a specialist form of housing that would help to meet an identified and growing need in the area. We believe that our proposals fill a gap in the market. Retirement Living apartments encourage homeowners to continue living an active and independent life, whilst also enjoying the privacy they enjoyed in their previous homes. These homes are different to care homes, which provide daily assistance throughout the day.

“The majority of homeowners moving into our developments already live in the local area and are already using local services, such as the GP surgeries. As a result, there is unlikely to be a significant change in the number of new people signing up to local healthcare facilities. Should we receive planning permission, we expect our new homeowners’ to contribute to the local economy whilst we also expect this development to free up local family homes for the younger generation.”