North Portslade councillor Penny Gilbey (Letters, August 26) writes that, despite her objections supported by Brighton and Hove City Council, the South Downs National Park planning authority has granted permission to replace a mobile phone mast at the junction of Fox Way and Foredown Road in Portslade with another one, thicker at the top and three metres taller.

She also says the mast is to be situated overlooking residential properties, harming the character and appearance of the area. She adds that consideration has to be given to the visual impact or detrimental appearance of a development.

I should like to remind Coun Gilbey that the SDNP planning authority had no part to play in the recent hideous redevelopment of a school in Chalky Road, Portslade, which overlooks residential properties and has given a detrimental appearance to the whole centre of North Portslade. This took place on her watch without a murmur about the character and visual appearance of the locality.

Bearing this in mind, how did the redevelopment of this school slip through the net in its present form?

Dave Bonwick, Graham Crescent, Portslade