There really is no need for Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive David Panter to "bang heads together" over the proposed Black Rock development, as John Parry suggested (The Argus, May 9).

The project is progressing methodically behind the scenes.

The council has asked members of the public what they want in a very extensive survey and has passed on their views to prospective developers in a development brief. It has received developers' ideas, choosing the ones that reflect public wishes. It is about to go back to residents in the next few months with a shortlist of those ideas. This is a model of how these things should be done so it is disappointing and baffling why John should call this "arrogant and outrageous" - unless, of course, he is trying to generate more heat than light... perish the thought.

The council is not able to reveal which developers are shortlisted yet because there are issues of commercial confidentiality. Companies may not want their competitors to know what their plans are. Developers deal with the council only on the understanding it doesn't unveil their ideas until an agreed time.

-Coun Ken Bodfish, Leader, Brighton and Hove City Council