Hank Dittmar (Opinion July 26) highlighted the latent contradiction in recent planning reforms between the promotion of growth through building more housing and a wish to return power to local communities

How this pans out can be seen in what was a failure in the campaign to “save” the Castle pub in Battersea High Street.

It seems the pub is being torn down and replaced by not much more than a large space to be labelled “Public House”. This is likely to be shorn of most of what helped to make the pub so successful: open space for outdoor activities, cool-cellar facilities, the tenant operators and the relaxed feel that an individual building can give.

Peter Deakins
London SW11

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