Valerie Paynter once again raises valid questions about the quality of the proposed King Alfred redevelopment plans and the dangers of granting planning permission for such a significant development while leaving so many important matters as conditions, rather than resolving them before permission is granted (Letters, February 14).

At the King Alfred planning meeting on March 23, I spoke as an objector, not on the grounds of aesthetics, whether significant parts of the development or neighbouring buildings will be in almost permanent shadow, or the appropriateness of the development to Hove, but as an environmental engineer with more than 15 years' experience of demolishing, cleaning up and redeveloping sites. I was simply shocked by the woeful inadequacy of the ground investigations which are fundamental to the viability of any project.

Will the proposed underground car park cause flooding or destabilisation of neighbouring properties?

We don't know. Will the developers have to pump out and dispose of millions of litres of water during construction? We don't know. Will there be waste material amounting to the volume of 40 houses piling up on the Western Lawns? We don't know. How long will the whole redevelopment take? We don't know.

And we don't know, nor do we have any realistic idea, because the developers had not done enough investigation work prior to applying for planning permission and, given the lack of visible work at the site since March last year, still haven't.

The implications of this uncertainty are huge. Can the development be built as proposed? Is the developer competent to undertake the works? Will the developer run out of money part-way through?

Will Brighton and Hove City Council have to find additional funding at a later stage, at the expense of Brighton and Hove taxpayers?

  • John Davys, Connaught Terrace, Hove