A planning document which sets out development in Watford over the next 15 years will go out to public consultation next month.

This comes after members of Watford Borough Council’s Cabinet approved the final draft of Watford's Local Plan at a meeting on Monday.

The local plan will help shape the redevelopment of the town up until 2036, and includes dozens of sites earmarked for housing to help meet growing targets set by central government.

Watford has been told it must build nearly 800 homes a year up to 2036 – a figure the mayor Peter Taylor has described as "unrealistic".

The list of sites drawn up by the council does not guarantee redevelopment but does show the council supports the principle of new homes or other development at that particular location.

The sites include land around Watford Junction as well as retail parks and supermarket sites, along with garage sites dotted around the town, and other buildings.

See a list of all 61 sites in Watford’s draft local plan below.

In Monday’s meeting, Cllr Iain Sharpe, whose role leads on planning and regeneration, said providing a local plan would give the council "greater control".

He said: "The biggest challenge does come with the levels of housing growth we’re expected to meet.

"I realise some people have and do ask ‘why not just say no to the government? Can’t you just tell them to get lost, in effect, and say that it can’t be done?

"The result of such an approach would put is in a worst position to resist inappropriate development, to give developers the whip-hand as they show if we have failed to plan for the future, they’ve got lots of ideas for where they want to build, and they may not be the places where we think it’s appropriate.

"So the important thing about the plan is that it does give us a greater degree of control and a greater ability to shape where development goes, because the one thing that is clear about the government policy is refusing to engage with the system…is actually a route to worse things happening."

Public consultation on the Watford draft local plan will begin sometime in January and last for six weeks.

The council will then consider feedback, and aim to submit its final draft to the Secretary of State in the summer.