The article "Small shops - use them or lose them" (The Argus, May 2), added depth to the news the marina is in line for transformation and that Asda and McDonald's would be demolished under facelift plans to incorporate space for residential, retail and public transport (The Argus, May 16).

At a conservative estimate, hypermarkets - the new Sainsbury's near Brighton Station, Tesco next to the pedestrianised George Street in Hove and Asda in the marina combined - would add approximately 200 car journeys per hour across the city, 2,800 per day, 19,600 per week from the three private car parks.

We should include the Churchill Square and Brighton Centre car parks and the King Alfred sports centre, where the basement car park will increasingly be full of sea water at high tide.

If such city hypermarkets had equivalent street parking provision to small traders, it would create a more level playing field.

Far more effective than parkand-ride destroying the countryside with tarmac would be park-and-train, using railway car parks near city visitors' homes.

Hopefully, rising petrol prices will change minds.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in the first car-free city, a healthy tourist attraction using only trains, buses and modern fast ferries disembarking at a new West Pier jetty?

-John Stanaway, Hove