This neighbourhood of West Watford is a lively area of town, situated 15 miles northwest of central London; predominantly comprised of affordable terraced housing and a number of newly built flats, its fantastic access to central London from the nearby stations of Watford High Street and Bushey make this neighbourhood a particularly attractive place to live for those looking to commute. With a number of nearby green spaces, and the River Colne meandering through, this built up area has some surprising pockets of calm. But don’t let this fool you, as this neighbourhood is filled with loads of things to do, including an opportunity to learn about local history at Watford Museum, catch a play at the Pump House theatre, or sample a plethora of international cuisines at one of the many restaurants on offer here – with all this and more, there really is something for everyone.

Watford was situated as an agricultural community for many centuries. With the Industrial Revolution came the Grand Union Canal (1798) and the London and Birmingham Railway (1837), both of which enabled Watford to industrially develop. Whilst the centre of Watford was developing however, West Watford was maintained as largely agricultural. At the start of the 20th century, the town was rapidly growing, and new roads started to be built, a large number of which were in West Watford. This enabled increasing development to take place in this neighbourhood, contributing to the landscape that we see today.

The former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell, was born in the nearby Watford General Hospital, and lived in this area thereafter. Another famous resident of this neighbourhood is Anthony Joshua, a boxer, who achieved a Gold medal at the 2012 Olympic games. It may also interest you to know that this neighbourhood and its surroundings are home to the headquarters of a large number of national and multi-national companies, including J D Wetherspoon, Mothercare, Hilton, and TK Maxx.

One of the main downsides of this neighbourhood is the fact that the hospital is oversubscribed, with some finding that the A&E department is operating at nearly three times its intended capacity. In 2015, the hospital was given an “inadequate” rating in its CQC inspection, which was later upgraded to “requires improvement” in 2018. Plans are actively in place to implement improvements. Plans to rebuild the hospital were finally approved in 2021 and a new hosptial plan has been drawn up to include the redevelopment and functional reevaluation of Watford General, as well as Hemel Heampstead Hospital and St Albans City Hospital. Construction is expected to begin in 2024. A new hospital building will also sit within a major regeneration project – Watford Riverwell – which will be landscaped and will offer green spaces and shops. There will also be a new multi-storey car park.

Speaking of redevelopment and regeneration, two applications also have been approved for a site on Sydney Road. One of these developments will be undertaken by Sydney Road Developments, who will provide 278 apartments, whilst the other will be provided by Fairview New Homes, on the derelict site of the former Watford Laundry. In total, the two developments will contribute around 500 new homes to the neighbourhood. There is a mixed response from local residents, with some backing the plan due to their desire to see the derelict building removed; however, others are more sceptical and have voiced concerns about the increased traffic, building heights, and parking such development will contribute.