I read with great interest your report on the findings of the recent Commons Public Accounts Committee which had concluded that the key workers housing scheme was "wasting cash" (The Argus, March 28).

It went on further to state that with the roaring house prices in the South East and even with subsidised mortgages, only 114 buyers in Sussex have been able to take advantage of the HomeBuy scheme since April 2006, so in Brighton this must have amounted to only a handful of people.

Yet councillors from across all political parties gave "affordable housing for key workers" as the main reason to justify their support for the Brighton Marina development which includes ten tower blocks, one of which is 40 storeys high.

I have always argued strongly that simple common sense leads one to conclude that the development costs for this particular project, together with its expensive location, would ensure any of the accommodation created would have a sky-high price ticket.

Add to that the maintenance and council tax charges and it is even more crystal clear that it would be impossible for key workers, even with outside financial help, to have a chance of buying.

Yet all the local East Brighton Labour councillors, together with Kemptown MP Des Turner, refused to listen to this type of reasoned argument when responding to the overwhelming number of residents who are so opposed to this appalling example of overdevelopment.

You simply do not need to build a £268 million development to create houses or flats which lower paid people in key sector jobs can really afford - but when did this particular council ever listen to common sense?

  • Vicki Davies, East Brighton candidate for Brighton and Hove Independents