IN response to Alan Burridge's letter “Let’s not be silly about the past”, regarding the West Quay development, and crackin’ ’is jaw (that’s old Poole for boasting) about being born in Poole Hospital (that’s actually at Longfleet) and “no one is more of a native Poolite than myself”.

Well, I too was born in Poole, in 1950 at 6 Market Street (Byngley House), my parents and grandparents were also born in the town and I can trace my family back 300 years (so far) in Poole; that’s not counting those who were farmers up at Longfleet in the 1780s (near the hospital where Mr Burridge was born).

I may not be “more of a native Poolite” than Mr Burridge but I will venture an opinion regarding the West Quay development.

In his letter Mr Burridge mentioned several high-rise buildings in and around Poole including Barclays, the flats adjacent to Asda, Poole Hospital and Dolphin Keys as some sort of justification for the proposed high-rise at West Quay.

His suggestion, “won’t it match Dolphin Quays at the opposite end of the Quay?” is ludicrous – one eyesore is enough, we don’t need it in stereo!

Yes, Mr Burridge, there was opposition to the building of Dolphin Quays and yes, there was opposition to the asset stripping and relocation of Poole Pottery.

There was even opposition back in the early 1960s when the so-called slum clearance around Strand Street and Castle Street began and the houses behind the Georgian facades were found to be medieval structures, some of the oldest in the town, but that didn’t stop Poole Council allowing their demolition, and for what? A multi-storey car park and a few offices.

Too late Mr Burridge! They turned Poole into “a right pig’s ear” 40-odd years ago.

‘Progress’ has seen Poole Quay changed from a vibrant working quay to a pleasure promenade complete with palm trees, a ‘sculpture’ that resembles a lump of scrap iron and a viewing platform (viewing what?) Mr Burridge is all in favour of “modern and dynamic structures” and has every right to his opinions.

However, it’s easy to form opinions regarding high-rise developments when you don’t have to live next to them.

Driving past them is one thing, but living near them is another matter.

I hope that the people of Poole, whether they’ve lived here many years or a short while, will continue to raise objections to out-of-character or poorly planned developments.

POOLITEPAT (Patricia Ellis), Dorchester Road, Upton, Poole