Sir.–On Friday, February 11, members of the planning committee came to see the site for the application to convert the Three Barrels pub into two shops facing away from our Winklebury Centre shops.

We are grateful that they took the time to do so. The community is not against shops as long as they serve the community and are not in conflict with our local family shops that have served the community for up to 40 years.

A questionnaire and phone survey showed overwhelmingly that, given a choice, the community would prefer to see a much-needed medical centre there.

There have been many events over the years in the courtyard as it is a community central point.

It is important to the residents, shoppers and visitors to feel safe day and night with the knowledge that it is inward facing, well-lit and overlooked by residents in the flats.

May we say a big thank-you to all the 600 residents who signed the petition and have been supporting us against this unwelcome application.

An even bigger thank-you to the nearly 40 residents that came out in the rain to show their strength of feeling and silently stood there with the posters showing their feelings for the community to the planning committee. We are a strong community and wish to stay that way.

–Lea Jeff and Barry Dodds, Winklebury, Basingstoke.