A derelict housing site will be brought back into use after a proposal for new homes was approved.

Thirty-nine empty, boarded-up homes, off Gateshead Road and Warenford Way in Borehamwood, will be demolished and replaced with 43 homes which will be a mixture of houses and flats.

This includes 11 two-storey three-bed houses and 26 two-bed flats which will come in three blocks, no higher than three storeys.

The development was submitted by housing association Clarion Housing - and all of the homes will be designated as affordable.

Councillors on Hertsmere Borough Council's planning committee passed the scheme with ease at a meeting last week, in particularly welcoming the opportunity to bring empty homes in Borehamwood back into use.

Cllr Seamus Quilty said: "I think it's a good application, it's policy compliant, it brings empty homes back into use."

He added: "It supplies quite a large number of socially affordable houses and living space to residents in Hertsmere, so therefore I will be supporting."

According to residents, the derelict site, in which some windows of the former homes are smashed, had become a haven for antisocial behaviour, and at least two fires also broke out last year.

However, neighbours did raise some objections to the development, with 39 objections officially lodged on the council's planning portal.

Borehamwood Times:

Police at the derelict site last year

A woman, who has lived in the area for 28 years, spoke against the scheme for three minutes on behalf of residents in Brook Road, Warenford Way, and Ranskill Road.

In her presentation to councillors, the resident explained that she and her neighbours felt the development proposed was "too big for the area" and said it should be "scaled down".

She was also concerned about parking and a potential overspill into neighbouring streets - 43 spaces are proposed.

The biggest concern she raised was that she felt residents in the new properties would be able to see into existing properties.

Borehamwood Times:

The only councillor who did not vote in favour of the scheme was Cowley Hill Labour councillor Jeremy Newmark.

While Cllr Newmark was "happy" to see empty homes being utilised, he had some doubts over how "affordable" the new 43 properties will be.

The 39 derelict homes were all for social rent - to ensure all of the new 43 homes are for social rent, Clarion Housing is reliant on receiving funding from Homes England.

The funding is not guaranteed, and if it does not come through, just over a third of the new homes would be for affordable rent or shared ownership, with the rest for social rent.

Due to the doubts around the type of affordable housing, Cllr Newmark decided to abstain rather than vote for or against the scheme.

Cllr Farida Turner voted in favour of the scheme along with nine other councillors but sought to ensure first that the homes would be for people in Hertsmere or with close connections to the borough.