I am appalled at Brighton and Hove City Council's children, families and school committee's (CFSC) decision to vote in favour of the school admissions proposals (The Argus, February 3).

In particular I am staggered at the treatment of Councillor Juliet McCaffery.

Because the specific proposals were never put out to public consultation, the only direct way that members of the public like myself felt they could influence this decision was by lobbying the members of the CFSC.

To replace Coun McCaffery at the last minute with someone who has not been directly exposed to all the arguments, both for and against the proposals, is undemocratic.

The comment from Coun Burgess that Coun McCaffery "had been placed in an awkward position because her ward would have been badly affected by the changes" also doesn't make any sense, because almost everyone involved in the process would have been affected by the changes.

All along we've been told that everyone involved has set aside their own personal agendas in order to come up with proposals that are "for the good of the city".

And yet at the eleventh hour we're supposed to believe the only person who hasn't been able to "act in the best interests of the city as a whole" is Coun McCaffery.

The whole thing stinks and leaves me totally disillusioned with our local democratic process.

Andrew Saunders
Ladies Mile Road, Patcham