A councillor has warned that building 150 new flats on the site of former office blocks will leave Borehamwood’s roads and services unable to cope.

Last week, Hertsmere Borough Council voted to approve the demolition of Hertsmere House and Isopad House in Shenley Road, Borehamwood, and replace it with a 12-storey block of flats containing 150 homes.

However the leader of Hertsmere Council’s Labour Group Ann Harrison has argued the new development will not have enough parking for those that will occupy it.

She said: “I have no problems with the plans themselves. We need new housing in this area although not enough of this are affordable.

“I’m just worried about the overall impact it is going to cause.

“The proposals allocated 150 parking spaces to the flats, that’s one space per house.

“Some of these flats have three bedrooms. Most people have more than one car, where will they park?

“There will be problems inside the complex itself and there will be overspill.

“People will park in nearby Baker Court or in Fairway Hall or at the bank, which will cause problems."

She added she feared more developments like this one would be built in the Elstree Way Corridor, which do not fulfil the need for infrastructure such as parking, schools and community centres.

She said: “This seems to be a common theme in developments like this and I’m not sure what is being done about it.”

Designed to improve the appearance of this “important gateway" to the town and attract businesses, the Elstree Way Corridor Area Action Plan provides plans for the construction of at least 800 houses.

However the representative for Cowley Hill feared the actual number of houses built would be much higher.

She added: “The police station is moving and Affinity Sutton is moving, leaving the area free for development.

“There are already 650 houses accounted for. I’m worried the final number of houses will be more like 1,200.

“There simply isn’t the infrastructure to cope with it.”