Councillor Bill Randall couldn’t be further from the truth about Brighton and Hove City Council’s plans for culture, sport, equalities, communities and sustainability (Letters, October 12).

Both culture and sport will sit directly under the new strategic director of communities, reflecting the vital importance that we place on both of these areas to the city’s economy.

We have had some great successes in recent years – for example, a 12% increase in visitor numbers to the Royal Pavilion, more conferences coming to the city, opening the Jubilee Library on Sundays, investing money in improving the Brighton Centre and King Alfred Leisure Centre and staging what was the first ever Brighton Marathon.

To suggest we are “downgrading” culture and sport is frankly ridiculous.

Similarly, with equalities, sustainability and community building, we have taken great strides in recent years to ensure that they are integral to everything we do as a council. We have cabinet members with direct responsibilities for all of these areas and our work to promote and protect the community and voluntary sector, for example, is widely recognised across the city.

The grassroots “Big Society” is already alive and well in Brighton and Hove, in contrast to the “Big Brother” approach of the Green Party which would rather be preaching to residents about how they should be living their lives.

Perhaps if Coun Randall had chosen to take part in the new intelligent commissioning process rather than burying his head in the sand, he might be in a better position to make some informed criticisms rather than just wild and inaccurate speculation.

Coun David Smith, cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism Coun Dee Simson, cabinet member for community affairs and inclusion Brighton and Hove City Council