I note from the article about the Park View Hotel of Thursday, November 4 2010 that a spokesman for Wychavon District Council said that the introduction of new buildings would be "at significant risk of flooding". This is incorrect.

The scheme had the full support of the Environment Agency and this was after a comprehensive Flood Risk Assessment had been prepared.

The issue on which the Planning Department decided to refuse the scheme was on the grounds of the Sequential Test.

This is applied nationally by Planning Departments in order to ascertain whether or not there is an alternative site with a lower risk of flooding which could be developed to provide the accommodation somewhere within the "area".

The extent of the "area" differs substantially across the country. Wychavon District Council Planning Department demanded that a very expensive analysis was prepared of all the alternative building sites within the District Council's area; some 515 in total.

This was still not enough to satisfy the officer and accordingly the application was refused. We contend that it is self-evident that a site containing the Park View Hotel which was proposed for conversion was necessarily a unique site.

The planners should have taken the view that there was no alternative site which could be used, because the Park View Hotel site is unique, and accordingly stated that with the Environment Agency's acceptance of the scheme that they too were satisfied.

It is for this failure that I completely condemn the actions of the Planning Department.

They have abjectly failed in what should be their fundamental objective which is to facilitate sustainable development and re-development.

Your readers may be interested to know that we have been approached by officers of other departments of the council who have also expressed dismay at this short-sighted decision.

A R Eastabrook, Eastabrook Architects.