I recently received notification from the Planning Department that an application has been made for the demolition of Belsize House, 4 Mill Road, Worthing.

This is a pleasing, double-fronted, historic villa-style building with attractive gardens, arched bay sash windows and exterior mouldings, which was once typical of this area of Worthing.

It is bad enough such a building in a conservation area may be demolished but the proposed redevelopment is a bland and featureless four-storey rectangular building of 16 flats with an exterior of modern yellow and red brick and PVC double-glazed windows.

The situation is made worse by the fact that the applicant is a housing association based in Esher and the agent is based in Havant so, presumably, these companies have no vested interest in improving the architectural heritage of Worthing.

Indeed, since a housing association has limited funds and does not have to attract buyers this may explain the lack of imagination and style in the proposed development.

Does it mean the flats will be allocated to people who are not even local to the area and the contracts will go to builders from outside Worthing?

This redevelopment does nothing to enhance the local environment and will lead to serious traffic problems in Belsize Road. So much of the "old charm" of Worthing has been already lost to developers that we should hold on to the buildings of character that are still left to us.

I ask readers to object to the proposed demolition and redevelopment by writing, by January 29, to Mr James Appleton at Worthing Borough Council, Portland House, Richmond Road, Worthing BN11 1LF, quoting application numbers WB/03/00001/FULL and WB/03/ 00002/CAC.

-Amanda Williams, Belsize Road, Worthing