A series of traffic-choked roundabouts are set to be transformed into Brighton's biggest city centre park, The Argus can reveal.

The green space would stretch for almost a mile between St Peter's Church and The Royal Pavilion, linking the gardens to North Laine.

The radical plans will cost at least £2.5 million to complete and a team of officers has been handed tens of thousands of pounds to draw up the proposals.

All traffic would be sent along the east side of the main thoroughfare which runs from St Peter's Church towards the Palace Pier.

The west lanes of traffic would be covered with grass, flowers and trees.

Events like Brighton Festival would then be able to expand and an outdoor ice-rink could be in place for the winter.

The scheme has yet to be be formally presented to councillors but if approved work could start as early as 2010.

Because of the complicated system of cycle and bus routes along the A23, barriers have been put up along the way reinforcing the isolation of the gardens from the rest of the city and leading to a number of serious accidents.

Officers' early analysis using a traffic model suggests the new layout, far from worsening congestion, could actually improve the flow.

Labour councillor Gill Mitchell, the chairwoman of the environment committee, said Brighton and Hove lacked a park worthy of its city status.

She said: "It would be absolutely wonderful and it will give us the kind of open space that other cities have.

"We have an idea that we have put through the traffic model but it is at an early stage and hasn't been formally presented to councillors.

"At the moment it is dominated by traffic and underused.

"It would be great if this area could become vehicle-free but it will not be without difficulties."

Conservative councillor Ted Kemble, the party's Brighton spokesman for transport and a taxi driver, said his party was keen on the scheme but that questions remained unanswered about changes to the road layout.

He said: "I would support anything that would improve traffic flows and air quality.

"My main concern is that North Road is a major cross street and would be blocked off but if they can find a suitable way of overcoming this problem, I do not see that there is an issue."

Green convener Keith Taylor said a large park would help St Peter's Church which is threatened with closure.

He said: "What we need to be doing is reducing the level of traffic in the city because reducing the number of lanes will cause longer delays.

"But we do need to make the most of our inner city green spaces and that space is massively underused because it is surround by choking traffic."

He added that 19 per cent of all CO2 emissions is traffic related.

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Elgood said a strategy to improve green spaces across the whole city was needed.

He said: "We support anything that improves the area and helps the environment but this is artificial and cosmetic environmentalism.

"What we need is a strategic plan for the whole city."

What do you think about the proposals? How would a new city-centre park affect your life? Leave your comments below.