Peter Savage (Letters, May 7) makes one particularly good point about the King Alfred centre and the ongoing costs involved in maintaining it.

The Government is keen on public-private partnerships (PPPs) whereby the private sector takes on responsibility for an infrastructure project for 30 years and then hands it back the public authority.

Prior to the Second World War, developers frequently built blocks of flats on a speculative basis with a view to rental.

Look at Embassy Court. Could not now this be applied to affordable housing?

Hove badly needs a cinema but, in any event, a PPP could provide the on-going funding for the swimming and sports facilities everyone wants to see in a well and attractively designed and maintained modern complex.

-Michael Furniss, mjlf@btinternet.com