A building is indeed planned at Varndean Sixth Form College campus, as Adam Trimingham observes in his article about sports fields (The Argus, June 23).

But the planned post-16 special needs education centre he refers to is not going to be built on playing fields.

Subject to planning permission, it will be built on steeply sloping ground currently unusable for sports activities.

We are very conscious of the value of sport and exercise to young people and take great care not to reduce play areas at our schools.

The ingenious "piggy back" developments we've recently achieved at Downs Park special school and Portslade infant school, where we've built extra floors on top of existing buildings, are irrefutable proof of this.

Indeed, the Downs Park development actually freed up playing fields because it triggered the removal of temporary classrooms.

Chairwoman,

-Children, families and schools committee