THE proposal of the Liberty/Crosby Homes group to develop the council owned eastern end of the Kingsway site, which was selected unanimously by the joint MBI, Tory, Lib Dem and Green cabinet is a decision, which is surely a missed opportunity and should be reviewed.

To described an eight-storey glass and steel apartment block with 72 flats on the bus garage site as an 'eye-catching statement' and 'significant landmark' ignores the incongruity of its attachment to the faade of the old listed building which must be retained.

Furthermore, how sensitive of popular will expensive flats be, standing immediately above the city's most congested road junction with high pollutant emission levels and on an island site?

Of greater concern must be the rejection of the more detailed alternative Chelverton proposals to comprehensively redevelop the whole of the Kingsway/Back Caton Road island site stretching from the bus garage to Sowerby's petrol station.

Chelverton have options to purchase Sowerby and Sunlight laundry properties, their proposals included a realigning of Back Caton Rd, using some of the embankment and the old shoe factory site which they own, together with a new road through to the St Leonardsgate car parking area to improve access and hopefully ease the Bulk Rd/lower St Leonardsgate bottleneck.

Additionally, these improvements would in turn facilitate the potential development of the Mitchell's Brewery site on which they have also secured options and which is adjacent to council land holdings and the canal corridor housing opportunity sites.

It has been argued that Chelverton could advance their proposals irrespective of the suitability or otherwise of the Liberty/Crosby proposals.

Whatever actually materialises is subject to planning approval and developers know they cannot prejudge the detailed outcome.

Where there is common ground between competing proposals and opportunity 'dovetail' then a comprehensive approach should be sought.

Meanwhile, the cabinet's choice and reasons for it need careful scrutiny by the appropriate review board with a more detailed examination than has taken place so far.

The whole of what I have referred to above lies in the ward I have represented for 35 years so I cannot agree to other than the fullest of information being available for public assessment, comment and endorsement.

Cllr Abbott Bryning

Labour group leader

I agree, if I was you I'd take up my place on the cabinet and save us all the costs of those extra meetings - Ed