Your correspondents who have written to criticise the decision of the city planning applications sub-committee to give consent to the recent Sea Life Centre application may know something about animal welfare.

Unfortunately, their knowledge of planning procedures is a lot less well-informed.

Our received professional advice is animal welfare is not a material planning consideration and therefore not a valid ground on which to refuse a planning application.

Brighton and Hove City Council, ie the council taxpayers.

Applications are considered based on planning policies.

their welfare, is a matter for them and the zoo licensing body, not the planning applications sub-committee.

As a regular contributor to animal charities, I, too, would have concerns for the welfare of animals in the proposed pools.

However, I have to vote on planning policies, not on sentiment or my personal viewpoint. Several of my colleagues who supported the application no doubt came to the same conclusion.

-Councillor Les Hamilton, Councillor, South Portslade, chair, planning applications subcommittee, Nursery Close, Portslade