Now that Hove Town Hall is no longer earmarked for partial conversion to a public library, the very big question of its underusage must be addressed.

In my letter to The Argus (January 29), I drew attention to the still unmet need to find premises to house a black and minority ethnic resource centre which would attract £1 million of funding from the central government

This is something to remember with Brighton and Hove City Council being £18 million in debt.

The town hall is currently rather a forlorn desert with only a few employees rattling around inside it most days and nights.

It can seat as many people for an entertainment event (if not more) as The Sallis Benney Theatre attached to Brighton University in the Old Steine.

It could be a hive of cultural activity, showcasing, say, east European and Jewish klezmer music, as well as Chinese New Year's Lion Dance.

People could be given exhibitions and events showcasing the roots and history of Islamic and Chinese medical systems which have helped form contemporary Western practices.

In so many ways, the world is not about clearcut difference and separation and a centralised resource centre, located at Hove Town Hall, would surely give truth and substance to the presently mealy-mouthed council slogan: "Celebrating diversity".

-Valerie Paynter, Hove