An application for 63 houses to be built in a village has been submitted to a planning authority.

The homes, if given permission, will be built on the land east of Luton Road, Offley, which used to be an allotment site.

Under the scheme, six two-bedroom flats, 15 two-bedroom houses, 21 three-bedroom houses, 15 four-bedroom houses and six five-bedroom houses, plus a new vehicular access onto Luton Road, associated car parking, cycle and bin storage areas and associated infrastructure could be built.

The application, by Croudace Homes, would also see 25 of the 63 houses built as affordable housing if it is granted by North Hertfordshire District Council.

Chairman of Offley Parish Council, Janice Neal, said: “We think the developers have been sympathetic to the plans and residents were invited to various consultations in the village and their views have been listened to.

“Naturally with any development there are issues with infrastructure and we do feel schools in the area are already at breaking point, which Herts County Council needs to do something about. A few villages down there is a proposal for more than 1,000 homes to be built, which is an application by Bloor Homes. Although the parish council has not made any objections to the Croudace application, this all has a knock-on effect to rounds, schools and local services.”

Cllr Neal said the application has been in the pipeline for the past two-and-a-half years and is not on Green Belt land.

Cllr Neal said that one of the issues raised was the close proximity the development would have to residents, who live in the Old Chapel, which has been converted into homes.