Your coverage of the cliff falls created by the recent storms (Argus, December 14) reinforces the fears of local people about Southern Water's ill-conceived scheme to build a 25-acre sewage treatment plant on the beach at Telscombe Cliffs.

At last year's 43-day planning inquiry into this proposal, the Campaign for Residents Against Portobello repeatedly expressed its concern about the wisdom of attempting to construct such a large industrial complex on this site, necessitating a platform jutting hundreds of feet out to sea and the destruction of a huge area of cliff face.

Each time we raised this point, Southern Water "experts" alleged they were not aware of any "adverse weather conditions" affecting this area of coast.

How adverse does the weather have to be and just how much damage has to be done to our cliff face before the powers-that-be accept this plan will hasten the destruction of the very narrow strip of land which prevents our lifeline A259 road from becoming too dangerous to use?

-Don Burrell, chairman, Campaign for Residents Against Portobello, Saltdean