I’d like to know why the council has allowed redevelopment of the land that was the old fire station for domestic accommodation – almost certainly aimed at retirees.

The reason this is a highly contentious sale is because the land is right next to one of the town’s best loved and busiest pubs – namely The Boot (Not to mention the Belvedere).

The Boot allows people to sit outside and has a very informal air. Despite the total lack of hue and cry that you can see outside of any pub or bar in the town centre, you can bet your bottom dollar that the noise of people talking and drinking will incense said flat owners.

Because it’s so blindingly obvious that sticking thirty retirement flats next to a noisy, busy pub is going to cause no end of problems, you can only assume that the department responsible for it thinks that the rest of us are very stupid or simply don’t care.

This pub is a historical drinking establishment – as opposed to some Johnny come lately in Melcombe Regis. It has genuine character and old world appeal.

Part of that is the fact that people from any walk of life from Weymouth can and do sit outside in total parity.

Talk about eroding the fabric of the community.

This is a totally unacceptable strong-arming of the the rights and freedoms of ordinary Weymouth residents from all over the local area by the council in a very cynical bid to make the books balance.

Louis Cox, Lennox Street, Weymouth