The recently unsuccessful attempt by local businessman Mike Holland to obtain planning permission for an ice rink adjacent to the Brighton and Hove Engineerium, which he is restoring at considerable personal expense, highlights the vagaries and inconsistencies of local planning.

The main reason given against the planning application was that the ice rink would be inappropriate in relation to its proximity to the grade II-listed Engineerium.

If that is the case, it beggars belief that the planning committee has already set a precedent in this regard having given the green light for the ice rink that appears annually during the Christmas period adjacent to the Grade I-listed Royal Pavilion.

No wonder potential investors are wary about seeking to invest in developments in the city with this planning lottery.

Robin Tulley, Honey Croft, Hove