The Endeavour site developers have done us all a favour.

Their proposed building in Preston Road, Brighton, has generated interest, controversy and perhaps even action among many who rarely appear to show any interest in their surroundings.

Brighton and Hove, in common with many other towns and cities throughout the country, is faced with difficult and often divisive choices as it competes for attention within a mobile, discriminating and often inchoate economic and social environment.

Such choices invariably pit the preservation of what is seen as the "essence of place" against the pragmatic adoption of the new and challenging in a bid attract or retain investment and talent while meeting the needs of the broader community.

The management of such invariably opposed interests should be the principle upon which local policies are assessed and judged.

The Endeavour site is unique. It occupies a strategic location that, however it is developed, will either enhance or blight the city for generations.

So perhaps Brighton and Hove City Council should ask two questions before making any decision: Does the proposed development meet the criteria of maintaining the city's attraction to visitors, residents and existing or future business? Does the site offer other opportunities that would fulfil such criteria?

-Gavin Greenwood, Ditchling Road, Brighton