Several correspondents are wrong about the Quadrant Freehouse in Brighton (Letters, February 13).

The Quadrant development retains the most attractive of the existing buildings on the site, at 6, 7 and 8 of the North Street Quadrant, as well as the Grade II listed public house.

There were substantial negotiations on the design of the scheme with Brighton and Hove City Council's planning and conservation officers and advice was sought from both the Architects' Panel and the Conservation Area Advisory Group before the development was finally approved in 2001 by Brighton and Hove's planning committee, which I chaired.

Officers will also ensure the development is monitored throughout.

While I sympathise with the people currently running the Quadrant Freehouse, the decision about who runs it is ultimately between the developers and pub owners.

The overall scheme will provide six new retail units and an increase in floorspace for both the pub and offices.

There has been a long-standing commitment to the redevelopment of the site and the approved scheme will not only secure the viability of a handsome listed building but also enhance the shopping area of central Brighton.

-Coun Roy Pennington chairman, Brighton and Hove planning applications sub-committee