The proposal by the Green Party to sell off Brighton Town Hall is badly thought out and serves to devalue local government.

It might make good publicity but it smacks of asset stripping and privatisation.

In one of their leaflets the Greens say the Town Hall is expensive and under-used and could be sold to community businesses (presumably for more trendy cafes and bars). There are a number of problems and contradictions with this.

Firstly, if it is expensive to run, what local businesses would want to use it for the purposes stated by the Green Party? Secondly, if it is underused, part of it could be used by voluntary and community groups and by council staff who are sited elsewhere and working in cramped conditions.

Thirdly, if the Greens are committed to decentralisation, why are they proposing to centralise the council's services at Hove Town Hall?

Fourth, once this building is sold, it could be lost forever as a resource to the people through one piece of asset stripping. Finally, the council would be obliged to get the best price for such a sale and there would be no guarantee the building would be used in a way the Greens might like.

Brighton and Hove Green Party is living in cloud cuckoo land with this idea to privatise the Town Hall and with its so-called alternative budget. The Greens are sounding increasingly like alternative Tories by making such proposals.

-Rob Heale, Chatham Place, Brighton