Sir - I was intrigued to read the article Planners act over disfiguring dishes (Gray Matter, December 14) by-lined by Christopher Gray. I have three responses to make which I would urge your readers to consider.
Firstly, my late partner Gordon Cullen and I spent much time considering urban design issues of consequence to the social, economic and visual environment, often in historically valuable locations, and were enthused by the advances in technology which allowed places to be made adaptable to a progressive and advantageous society.
In other words, urban design as an aggregate of thought, great design and contemporary utilities is fundamental.
Secondly, I was educated at two schools created by the Society of Jesus who were as keen on science as they were on theology and philosophy, and one was designed by J M Bentley, a precursor of Sir Edwin Lutyens, both stylistically determined architects, and both of whom used decoration purposefully in their buildings. If satellite communication devices had been available when the Society of Jesus commissioned the buildings they would have been an integral part of the specification.
In the case of Campion Hall, does your Grade One Listed correspondent, who must have a stretchy neck reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's ET, think that these tiny and almost invisible devices are being used to send messages to the Vatican in da Vinci code? Or, perhaps, it was a slow news day and he had simply to find something to groan about? Surely there must be more important things for him to spy upon. I would welcome your readers' collective response, but I shall not draw my breath waiting.
David Price, London
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