Plans to build 185 new homes near Bushey Arches have resurfaced in the Christmas break.

Veolia Water has applied to Watford and Hertsmere borough councils for outline permission to build the mixture of flats and houses on its former office site, near Aldenham Road.

Blackwell House, on Three Valleys Way, formerly housed 160 company staff, before the company relocated to Hatfield and left the building empty.

When the development was announced last year, John Drummond, Oxhey Village Environmental Group chairman, said: “The problem is very simple: within a short time period there have been a number of large developments along Aldenham and London Road.

“In addition, 71 units on the Taggers site, and 185 on the Three Valleys land total an extra 1,300 new homes crammed into an area within one mile of Bushey Station and the arches junction.

“The local infrastructure is already close to breaking point with packed commuter trains and gridlocked roads.

"There are serious concerns how the local schools, doctors' surgeries and other services will cope with the pressures of high density development.”

The site sits on a boundary, meaning 130 of the homes fall under Hertsmere's planning department and 55 under Watford's.

Both councils are under strong pressure from The East of England Regional Authority to each approve at least 5,000 new homes by 2021.

Alan Luto, Oxhey village resident, said he would fight the plans.

He said: “There are a lot of people jumping up and down about this. This is a very desirable area to live but we haven’t got space for so many new people.

“The local infant school is already full and the trains are already chock-a-block at Bushey station. I worry that more applications will come in.”

Danny Head, 18, of Blenheim Close, said: “Almost all my journeys entail negotiating Bushey Arches which is always difficult, and with the new development this difficulty will become a nightmare.”

“The local road system is already overloaded. Our area just cannot take a development of this size with the cars it will generate.”

In a resident consultation report, the two main concerns for the development were an increase to traffic on the Aldenham Road and the impact on the local schools and amenities.

Hertfordshire Highways spokesman Jo Brown said: “As part of the planning process, the borough council will contact us to ask for our perspective on the proposals.

"The impact they will have on the existing roads and what might need to be done to accommodate an anticipated increase in traffic.”