Meeting open to differing views

I'm sorry James Breckell was upset by comments he heard at the public meeting about local housing trends (Herald, Oct 20), but puzzled that he blames its organisers, the Shoreham Society and the Shoreham Beach Residents' Association (SBRA).

It was a completely open meeting so the organisers can hardly be responsible for views expressed from the floor.

And James is completely off-beam when he accuses us of organising a ‘xenophobic attack on the next generation’, and that the Shoreham Society ‘pitches generation against generation’.

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Both organisations are completely open to people of all ages and all views.

We certainly do not represent any particular generation, and indeed would dearly like more young people to join, get involved and influence our policies and campaigns.

Nor is James right to suggest we are anti-housing. The chair of the public meeting actually expressed ‘Recognition that sustainable development and housing is needed’.

We have made it clear many times that we expect housing needs to be met by more residential development.

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But we are concerned about design – this particular debate was largely about the height of future blocks and whether they should be taller than St Mary’s Church.

James calls for housing for young people – and I’m sure members of the Shoreham Society agree. The problem is that the overwhelming majority of homes proposed in current housing developments are luxury dwellings that will do little or nothing to supply affordable residences for young people – or indeed serve to solve the housing problems that the government-imposed targets are intended to address.

Organisations like the Shoreham Society and SBRA are inevitably shaped by the views of the people who bother to join and take part, but they are open to everyone so people who would like them to be different are very welcome to join

and bring their influence.

Gerard Rosenberg

Chairman

Shoreham Society

Rosslyn Road

Shoreham

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