I am angry at both East Sussex and West Sussex County Councils for opposing the establishment of a National Park for the South Downs, despite a large number of Sussex residents having registered their support for the park.

The councils are using taxpayers' money to pay for expensive legal advice, outside consultants and so on for the forthcoming public inquiry.

This is heavy expenditure of taxpayers' money on opposing something most people want.

This is hardly democratic. I wonder if either council would come clean and publish figures showing how much of our money is being spent in this way?

Better still, why can't the councils listen to their electors and also to the parish and district councils, most of which are wholly in favour of the National Park as being the best way to protect the South Downs for future generations?

-Sylvia D Bain, Ditchling