Having been away at the time, I have only just caught up with The Argus of September 25, which contains a letter about my society in relation to Peter Pan's Playground, Brighton.

The writer, T Beachell, responds to the excellent efforts of councillors to bring about improvements to the site by accusing them of having short memories. Worse, he goes on to state that seven years ago J H Heals Ltd, the tenant at the time of Peter Pan's Playground, wanted to spend

£4 million on the playground and a play area free for children but that the Kingscliffe Society and other conservation groups did not want it.

Thus it was never developed and that is why it is a derelict site now. Mr Beachell has it horribly wrong.

The campaign of opposition all those years ago was not about the existing Peter Pan's site but against the efforts of Heals to obtain planning permission to concrete over a large section of the beach for funfair purposes. Certainly, we and other conservation groups opposed that vigorously, as did hundreds of local residents in what was, thankfully, a successful campaign to preserve the beach.

At the same time, and for many years beforehand and since, my society has called for improvements to the existing site, not least in respect of a free play area for children. That is why we so strongly support Councillors Brewer and Mitchell in their latest initiative.

-Dr Janie Thomas, Hon Secretary, The Kingscliffe Society, Brighton