I was interested in the article celebrating the marriage of Brighton with Hove ten years ago (The Argus, November 18).

Its headline suggested local democracy has been improved as a result of the merger.

Residents of Brighton and Hove gave a very different impression at a recent public meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to launch a newly formed residents' group called No Inappropriate Development (No-ID). It has no party political affiliations but consists of residents of Brighton and Hove who are concerned about the adverse effects of some of the development proposals currently being considered by Brighton and Hove City Council.

People related experiences that illustrated the power of the council's planning officers and the might of the developers, both of which seem to far outweigh the power of residents and elected councillors.

Many at the meeting expressed deep concern as to whether what appears on the surface to be a problem of planning is in fact a sign of another fundamental problem - the erosion of democracy at local government level.

Residents expect their elected representatives to set policy and local government officers to deliver those policies in a sensible and sensitive way. This is not what they see happening.

We want power returned to residents via their elected representatives. We want the whole planning process to be more transparent.

We want proper account taken of the cumulative effects of successive nearby development proposals both in terms of the change in character this would bring to an area and the impact on associated services such as schools, GPs' surgeries and other infrastructure.

We want wider consultation with residents and full value given to their views.

We want better standards of architectural design so residents are drawn to new developments rather than repelled by them and we want proper consideration given to the value of wildlife in the city.

We also want to see the planning process become less divisive and painful. If redevelopment is shown to be necessary, we want ways in which planners, councillors and residents can work together with the developers before the basic design of proposed new buildings is fixed - not just for large, high profile developments but for the smaller yet significant proposals within neighbourhoods across the city.

We believe the City of Brighton and Hove deserves a better and more democratic system whereby residents are not sidelined as an irrelevance but are heard with respect not just by councillors but also by council officers whose duty is to serve the community.

-Elizabeth Dowse, Joint Chair, No-ID, Chatsworth Square, Hove