This month, GARSTONnews spoke to two locals affected by the Kytes Drive redevelopment, which will see 44 bungalows demolished and replaced with houses and flats.
Lorna Campbell wrote: “For many older and disabled residents, Kytes Drive is more than a postcode. It is a place of stability — where homes have been adapted with care, routines built, and independence quietly maintained. Now, they’re being asked to give it up, under the banner of regeneration.
“Anchor, England’s largest provider of specialist housing and care, was downgraded in February for serious failures — including fire safety breaches, faulty electrics, and mould. The organisation remains under investigation. Yet it is responsible for relocating some of society’s most vulnerable residents, without a single binding guarantee that their new homes will be accessible, appropriate, or permanent.
“Watford Borough Council states that 30% of homes will meet full M4(3) accessibility standards. But Anchor’s own documents suggest needs will only be assessed after housing allocations. That’s not inclusive design. It is delay — and it risks breaching the Equality Act, which requires authorities to anticipate the needs of disabled people.
“Many residents believed these were their final homes. They adapted them with care and personal savings. Now, they face removal — without clarity, without choice, and without time.
“Whether by design or neglect, disabled people are being pushed to the edges. And as this story unfolds, more people are starting to pay attention.”
Linda Ivey wrote: “The Kytes Estate could be the flagship for disabled people with two- and three-bedroom bungalows needed to live a life as close as possible to the life abled bodied people live. We residents appreciate the need for further accommodation, but this could have included the flats in the plans and a number of private houses to generate more income needed for this site.”
Photo credit: PRP
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