The area has been a Green stronghold since 1999, when the party took all three seats in the St Peter's ward, with York Place at its heart.

In 2003, the ward was expanded to include North Laine but the Greens still scooped all three posts with impressive majorities.

Labour usually presents the greatest threat and has been working the area extremely hard but has 1,000 votes to make up.

The party has fielded a strong team of award-winning journalist Greg Hadfield, Sarah Ogden managing director of PR company Midnight Communication, and George Moody.

Their message to the electorate is that they should vote for Labour to stop the Conservatives taking overall control of the council.

They also claim they would have fought harder for residents on important ward issues.

But Councillor Keith Taylor, convener of the Greens in the city and one of the party's most prominent politicians, said Labour had let the ward down, particularly over parking and the Hollingdean waste transfer station.

His fellow councillors Sue Paskins and Simon Williams are not standing again in the ward.

Looking to retain the Green seats are Ian Davey, who runs the social enterprise Bike for Life, and Pete West, the first Green councillor elected in Brighton in 1996.

The Greens are campaigning in the ward on changes to parking, including new controlled zones, and better recycling.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are fielding full teams in this ward but are unlikely to make much of an impact.

Hans Miles, Mike Long and Jo Woodward are standing for the Conservatives.

Graham Hunnable, Martin Lindsay-Hills and William Parker are representing the Lib Dems.

Debbie Dawes is standing as the Dump the Dump candidate, fighting the waste transfer station in Hollingdean.