It is telling once again that Watford has not met its housing delivery target, as set by the Government.

A total of 2,048 homes were required between 2018 and 2021. Only 980 were delivered.

Missing the targets matters because it gives local councillors, and by extension local people, less power to challenge development they do not want, with the "presumption in favour of sustainable development" going to the developer.

Watford MP Dean Russell argues the council should have challenged the targets when it submitted its draft local plan.

Read more: 'Far too high' - Watford again fails to meet housing targets

Read more: Watford MP and mayor set for Local Plan showdown meeting

Readers may remember that he discovered the council's ability to do this in talks with ministers, making an announcement hours before the vote on the plan was due to be made.

The Liberal Democrats claim that challenging the figures in the draft plan is not possible since Watford is not seeking to protect either green belt or an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Neighbouring Hertsmere recently scrapped its draft local plan after uproar over plans to build on the green belt.

Dacorum Borough Council is creating a new local plan after thousands of residents opposed an initial draft published in 2020. It thinks it can keep green belt development at bay.

Read more: Council 'confident' it can keep green belt developers at bay

But Watford's problem is not building on the green belt. It is tower blocks.

Lib Dems say the targets take no account of the amount of space Watford has, with little choice but to build upwards if it is to meet the targets.

Building of the new homes on the Lib Dems' watch in turn leads to the 'Taylor's Towers' taunt that the mayor's political opponents love so much, possibly because none of their names begins with a T. He meanwhile blames Tory targets.

And for all the political posturing, nobody has found a way to put more power over future development in the hands of Watford people, who might not want even a lower number of new homes. Nothing has changed.