I was astonished over the weekend to see big posters in North Road, Brighton, greeting a new Starbucks store as part of the new development enclosing the Jubilee Library.

I have nothing against coffee shops or Starbucks but I find this a dangerous precedent for Brighton.

Traditionally the chain stores have had the big share of the town from Churchill Square moving down Western Road.

The part of Brighton which covers the North Laine and the Lanes has been made up of sole traders and little chains - the kind of shops which sell goods you can't get in every town in Britain.

The area around the Clock Tower is already overloaded with chain coffee shops. How did this permission get through Brighton and Hove City Council's planners?

There are already two or three traditional non-chain cafes a few feet away. Surely a smaller, non-global business could be encouraged to fill that space.

Are we to become yet another colourless city with no real shops - just "outlets" and "branches" with merchandise dictated from head office.

Please let's realise one of the reasons people come to Brighton is for the shopping.

Nobody gets off the train from Brighton from London intending to visit Marks and Spencer or Virgin records when they can get that at home.

The council should protect the city, not undermine it. I urge it to reconsider its strategy and its policies.

-John Gammon, Brighton