SIR - Jim Panter (Letters, June 12) rages about Sainsbury failing to build at the rear of the old cinema in St John's.

The controversy about this proposal has been covered in the Worcester News many times.

To summarise: Sainsbury was given planning permission to build by Worcester City Council but did not, and still does not, own all the land needed to carry out its intentions.

The land it cannot obtain belongs to Worcestershire County Council, which would rather make shed loads of money by selling, instead, the land on a nearby site - that of the Christopher Whitehead School - to Tesco.

This would have the undesirable effect of rebuilding the school in Malvern Hills District Council area, somewhere outside the western boundary to the city, ripping the heart out of the St John's community, reducing the economic viability of the small shops in the area and increasing CO2 emissions to transport pupils by car and bus when currently they walk.

Time is really well overdue for these two councils to resolve their differences and put the pupils, parents and teachers of Christopher Whitehead School out of their misery. It is a public disgrace that of all those buildings are falling into decay in St John's.

Let's allow Sainsbury to complete its plans.

COUN Rob Peachey, Worcester.