I am concerned at the attempt to hold a gun to the heads of Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee.

It was suggested the quest to re-build the Brighton Centre would be successful only if the King Alfred proposals were also accepted (The Argus, February 20). I find this highly curious.

Despite the fact the King Alfred and Brighton Centre proposals have been debated for some time, only when the King Alfred is to be decided are we told the success of one depends on the success of the other.

The South-East England Development Agency's chairman appeared to disagree when he accepted the council's Conservative group would treat both applications as separate issues.

Two Conservative councillors were elected to represent central Hove, having campaigned against the plans for the King Alfred.

Indeed, in 2003, the Conservatives polled more votes than any other party, having made it clear they would oppose the King Alfred proposals.

What's the point in elections if voters' opinions are then ignored?

It is an insult to the planning committee to conclude that, if the King Alfred plan is rejected, the Brighton Centre plans must also be rejected.

Members of the committee undergo large amounts of training and use their expertise to decide each individual application on its merits.

The committee is legally separated from the council's administration. It is, therefore, its responsibility to balance the views of the council with those of the electorate and third parties, before taking decisions.

Finally, rather than signal "Brighton is closed for business", rejecting the King Alfred plans might signal "Brighton and Hove is open for business", by reassuring business that the council is committed to providing infrastructure prior to development and getting people to work on time, instead of increasing traffic gridlock.

Let the planning committee have a proper debate about this at the appropriate time, rather than tell them: "Vote for the King Alfred plan or else".

-Councillor Ted Kemble and councillors Brown, Cobb, Oxley, Norman, Young, Conservative group, Brighton and Hove City Council