How curious that Brighton and Hove City Council's last estimate for fixing up its housing stock was under £80 million, yet its current guess stands at £650 million.

Is this sharp rise in costs because the last administration mismanaged the stock or because a sky-high figure like £650 million might depress tenants so much they will let the council privatise their homes without a murmur?

Meanwhile, of course, the piecemeal stock transfer of empty homes goes on unabated in the hope all the housing will disappear soon anyway.

-Ian Hills, Brighton