I was quite cross to read that Ken Bodfish, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, speaking at the City Forum, said, "The choice is clear. Do you want to take the city forward or do you want it to become Worthing?" (The Argus, December 9).

Apart from the gratuitous insult to our town, Ken might like to reflect on this.

We have commissioned an in-depth study for the regeneration of the Worthing town centre and the seafront.

We are actively working with architects equally as good as those involved in some of the sites identified by him in his city.

We, too, are commissioning a tall-buildings strategy as we are rapidly running out of land and I have this day asked our officers to start the process of preparing a study of what will be involved in extending Worthing's shoreline.

No town or city can afford to stand still. We want Worthing to be a thriving borough where people want to live, work and invest. We want to see the provision of housing for young families, individuals and key workers who want to settle here and we will ensure there is a ready supply of affordable, shared equity and no-deposit-mortgage-financed housing units.

We want the people of Worthing to be prosperous and have a high quality of life. Worthing cannot be allowed to become a South Coast backwater of Brighton.

Both places need to recognise their strengths and opportunities and work with them.

-Keith Mercer, leader of Worthing Borough Council