There were gasps of shock when images of Berkeley Homes’ plans in St Albans Road were shown on Monday - and cries of ‘shame’ when they were approved.

But perhaps it should not come as a surprise. Watford Borough Council began consulting on a tall buildings policy in late 2015, as applications for high-rises began to come in.

With housing targets that have risen to 800 homes a year and little green space for development, the only way is up - unless the council can persuade neighbouring councils to take equally unpopular garden villages on the green belt.

The talk then was of towers usually between seven and 10 storeys. The policy was supposed to guarantee applications would only be accepted for high-quality, architecturally exciting structures that protect important views and create an iconic skyline.

Many would argue the plans approved on Monday obliterate views and create a skyline nobody asked for - one reader described the scheme as like Manhattan.

Some blame Liberal Democrat councillors, believing that other parties would decide differently.

If any yellow rosettes are to blame, they were the MPs and ministers in the coalition Government that ordered a presumption in favour of development almost a decade ago.

And frustrated planning committee chairmen have been saying for much longer than that that they cannot refuse schemes without sound planning reasons.

If they do, the council risks paying the developer’s costs - and getting the blame for that - if a refusal goes to appeal and it loses.

Those who will live in the new towers’ shadow already worry about where their new neighbours are going to park - more than 200 of them will have at least one car and they cannot get everywhere via Watford Junction - and how the roads will cope.

The new government shows no sign of dropping a commitment to housebuilding - and there genuinely is a shortage of homes, especially affordable ones.

But many of the new developments going up do little to provide homes for local people or anyone on an average or lower wage.

If the council is to retain people’s trust and keep strain on roads and services under control it needs to do something to show it has teeth, both to stop developments that may be unsustainable and to demand affordable housing. Its next local plan may be a chance to do this.

If it is lucky, it may get help from a government that wants to help ordinary people on the edge of London buy their own homes. If it is not, it may get ever higher housebuilding targets from a party happy to see its rivals get the blame for unpopular policies.