I WELCOMED the hope that Southampton City Council and all other councils consider and plan the future of our Royal Pier.

We are gradually being sandwiched between large blocks of flats, containers, and untidy, shabby, unsightly pieces of land along OUR water front.

Southampton has been known for the last 60 years as an industrial town, we have never been known as a pleasuredrome, but at least in the Old Days planners always considered we, the public, had to have a few pleasurable places, such as our pier, outdoor lido and our beloved common.

For goodness sake council and planners do this one right - don't let big companies pull your strings.

J. MOORBY, Southampton.