Alderman Dennis (Feedback, February 6) seems to think that I was misled about the role of the Planning Inspectorate which I find somewhat patronising.

I believe, however, that he himself may have been misled by the heading attributed to my letter which were not my words but those of the Croydon Guardian.

I fully accept that the Inspectorate is acting within its remit according to the law as are the developers. It is the planning laws themselves I am challenging, not necessarily the Inspectorate.

The objectors to plans that have been passed by the council have no right of appeal which makes the playing field totally uneven.

I am surprised that Alderman Dennis thinks that the Inspectorate who are miles away in Bristol are more equipped to decide whether an application refused by the local planners is reasonable or not.

Perhaps we should do away with local planning and let the Inspectorate make a decision from the start.

As I have said, the council's planners already have their hands tied behind their backs financially.

I do not know whether Alderman Dennis has ever been threatened with the possibility of a development in his back yard as I have and had to face a developers barrister.

If he did I believe he would have rather different views on the matter. We do not believe that the council was unreasonable in our case but they were still eventually overruled.

Do I detect a hint of sour grapes in the Alderman's attacks on the current planning committee?

RON HARRISON, via email