I shall always remember the enthusiasm of the woman who showed me around the first house I bought, a terrace in Oxhey. She loved the local parks, schools and above all the community spirit. Even if we didn’t get this property, she wanted me to know what a fantastic area this was.

Covid lockdowns have given many of us all time to reflect on our priorities and the kind of places we want to live. As restrictions ease, my priorities for Watford include supporting local businesses to adapt and succeed, investing in even better parks and facilities for us all to enjoy and caring for those most in need in the town.

I know that many residents feel concerned at the pace and scale of change in the town. Since Conservative ministers tripled our housing target to 800 properties a year, I have repeatedly made the case that this target is unfair and unrealistic. Ministers have told me that Watford should have built twice as many properties in the past three years and we must "consider all options available to you to increase housing supply". The fundamental problem is that these housing targets take no account of the size of an area and the space available.

If Conservative government ministers believe we need to increase the number of homes in Watford by a third in the next few years, we can either concentrate these close to transport hubs and in key locations, see five and six-storey buildings as the norm in every neighbourhood or build on green belt. My response has been to fight the unfair targets, do all I can to ensure any new development has the education, health and community services it needs and focus on improving local transport provision.

The truth is that any politician who claims they have a magic wand and that they could stop all development is not being honest with voters about the challenges we face.

  • Peter Taylor is Elected Mayor of Watford