Further to the article Pavilion costs soar to £150M' (Echo, February 14), I wonder how many Weymouthians, such as myself, are frustrated and embarrassed as our council is made to look ever more foolish by Howard Holdings?

Let us be quite clear that a redevelopment of the Pavilion site is needed.

Let us be quite clear that it should be forward-looking and perhaps modernistic, even futuristic.

But, let us also be clear that it must be sympathetic to the character of Weymouth, its people, culture, history, geography and ecology.

In short it must not damage the town.

There is no evidence that the Howard Holdings proposal offers reassurance on any of these scores.

To the contrary, it promises a massive increase in traffic volumes along the Esplanade at a time when policy should be directed towards obtaining a reduction (this is quite apart from the heavy traffic volumes implied by the scale of the development phase itself).

The marina development threatens to destroy the very beach on which Weymouth's recent history and prosperity as a resort is founded, as well as less visible aspects of the marine and shoreline ecology.

It removes from the town one of its most important cultural venues and slashes the other in half It obscures the Nothe and overshadows one of the most attractive working harbours on the south coast.

It assaults the dignity of the town. We now discover that there will be no affordable housing on the Pavilion site. Weymouthians are not good enough to live there if they do not have enough money to compete with yet another influx of 4x4 snobbery.

Instead, Howard Holdings will have the option of building affordable housing on three other sites, which had already been allocated.

Consequently, there will be no increase at all in the amount of affordable housing as a result of this project. Pro rata, there will in fact be a reduction. Does the council take us for fools?

That which annoys me most however, is Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's apparent total disregard for the thoughts, views and opinions of the people of the town.

Where are the vocal supporters? Apparently there are none - save on the council and in Howard Holdings' boardroom.

I have yet to meet one soul with a kind word for the scheme, let alone an actual supporter.

Last year I wrote to each member of the council setting out my concerns in detail. I received but one reply, although the council web site promises that all correspondence will be dealt with within two weeks.

That one reply told me that the decision was a matter for the council. Which to me speaks volumes as to the relative importance of the views of the people of Weymouth in the council's management of this debacle.

Dr Ian Sedwell, Greenhill, Weymouth.