I HEARD the extraordinary claim made by Henry Boot's spokesman on Radio Bristol that Mr Whittington's petition against the Tropicana development was actually asking

I HEARD the extraordinary claim made by Henry Boot's spokesman on Radio Bristol that Mr Whittington's petition against the Tropicana development was actually asking for what the developer is planning to give us apart from the hotel. After that it doesn't really surprise me to find that the feedback from the public consultation has been presented in Henry Boot's second newsletter in a way which disguises the fact that a majority (188 against, 145 for) do not favour the mix facilities proposed. A more realistic analysis of the results, rearranged in the order in which the original questions were asked, is on our website, www.westontropicana.org.uk, and were displayed at F.O.O.T's event at The Blakehay last Saturday morning. I note from the planning application that the South West Design Review Panel (SWDRP), a body of eminent architects to whom we expressed our objections last October, are concerned about the size of the scheme for the site, appearance of the building, and "the intrusion of the car parking and piazza into Beach Lawns". They said putting the cinema elsewhere should be considered and the design should allow for views from the site to be maximised.The design revision has relocated the hotel to give a better external appearance and lower the building, and some lifts have been internalised to improve the views out. Beyond this the concerns of the SWDRP have been ignored, even though they reflect the most serious of the issues on which our objections, shared by very many of the populace, are based. So it seems that Henry Boot is prepared not only to ignore the wishes of the people, but the views of the experts, too.F.O.O.T. asks: What has Weston done to deserve this? Why can't we have a state of the art swimming pool complex on the Tropicana site and a leisure complex with more facilities than the planned Lifestation is offering, much nearer the town centre than the Tropicana?FERNLEY R SYMONS - Chairman, Friends Of Our Tropicana (F.O.O.T.)