Carry on trading

Although the application was refused, we were far from happy with the proceedings.

Nearly every councillor who spoke prefaced their comments with praise for the quality of the officers' report, but we disagree.

Many of the major objections have not been adequately addressed. Examples include the lack of comprehensive development of the site as required by the council's infamous Local Plan (Platt's is saved but Sawyer's goes), the inappropriate size and appearance of the building and its detrimental effect on the appearance of the conservation area, traffic generation and parking.

We fear that council officers are making it relatively easy for Waitrose to overcome their objections set out in the planning report and subsequently obtain permission to build. After all, it is only natural that they (the council) should want it to succeed, as when we attended a public consultation meeting in May 2004 it was led by the council who then appeared to be promoting the scheme.

The development control committee can only deal with planning matters, and there are many other objections to this development that should be publicly aired in front of an independent inspector.

One was raised by a councillor at the meeting when he pointed out that the car park, so often erroneously referred to as "Waitrose" car park, is actually the central car park for Marlow which belongs to the town.

In fact a large proportion of the development site belongs to the council, who would also have to wrest our site away from us before Waitrose could build over it. The council's interest and involvement in this development therefore goes much deeper than just exercising their responsibilities as the planning authority. So does ours; it's our future livelihood.

Our message to Wycombe District Council is that our principal objective is unchanged to do everything we can to continue with our business at 32 West Street.

Mrs Anne Howlett and Mrs Marjorie Sawyer, Sawyer Funeral Service, West Street, Marlow