It was with incredulity that I read the remarks made by the council planning officer Max Woodford regarding the window installed by Ali Mughal in her shop in North Laine.

Leaving aside the fact that this window appears to be in no way more incongruous than the other eye-catching shop fronts shown in the article, I find it hard to believe this is the same planning department that has given its blessing to the Gehry towers at the King Alfred site, to the Karis development on the Endeavour site (now hopefully modified), to the Karis building at 1a, Connaught Road, to the dispiriting Tesco store in Church Road and to the concrete and glass block being erected in Palmeira Avenue, replacing a perfectly acceptable design rejected by our planners as being too conventional.

How does the planning department reconcile any of these horrors with its now apparent zeal for congruity, relationship with surrounding buildings and sympathy with local character and appearance?

All but one of the developments I have listed above are in Hove.

If Ms Mughal is forced by the council to remove her window then perhaps she should think of re-locating to my part of town where, it seems, anything which destroys the ambiance of the neighbourhood is actually encouraged.

-Mrs PV Robertson, Hove