To my shock I read in The Argus (February 24) about the go-ahead from Brighton & Hove City Council for the casino development in the Metropole hotel.

Some might say to go ahead with the casino will bring vibrancy to Brighton's city centre and is just the sort of development Britain's government advocates.

We need plenty of leisure activities and this development may help the Metropole flourish as a hotel.

This development will offer more choice to paying guests and the public. What's wrong with that?

Brighton needs jobs but every development has its disadvantages which need to be taken into account.

Consider where the Metropole is. It sits cheek by jowl with many residential properties and herein lies the problem.

The planning sub-committee passed the change of use from hotel to casino last Wednesday.

Yes, we know Ladbrokes are reconsidering its position in the light of the buy-out but it can still go ahead.

The transcript will not be available for at least a week so we are a little in the dark.

What is certain is the residents who objected were not consulted about this meeting and therefore had no means of raising objections in public.

Now, you would have thought a council which sends scores of letters announcing the planning application to residents (other than those in St Margaret's Place who are directly affected and mysteriously did not receive a letter) would have the foresight to let those residents who have protested know.

Noise from traffic, noise from entertainment, noise from staff leaving at up to five o'clock in the morning are our concerns. Our councillor, who was at the meeting, tells us he had to put in an objection on the part of the residents because no one was there to protest.

The approval would appear not to have placed conditions on the hotel which address residents' concerns.

This is a poor hand which has been dealt to the residents.

It is precisely this lack of bite which has left residents historically at issue with the hotel over the use of their exhibition space. Now we are likely to have to contend with more.

It may be the sub-committee has sidelined the issue but you can be sure the environmental department will be busy picking up the pieces with complaints of late night noise.

-John Clinton, Brighton