An action group says fresh plans for hundreds of homes on a seaside site should be rejected.

Developer Karis ING has scaled down plans for the King Alfred leisure centre site in Hove.

The original proposals involved replacing the leisure centre and building more than 400 homes in four tall towers, one of them 38 storeys high.

Now Karis ING, after consultation, has changed the proposals to increase the number of flats from 438 to 590 but reduce the height of the towers and remove much of the commercial element.

Former Brighton planning officer Ken Fines said the changes would not alter opposition to the scheme.

Last year Mr Fines founded Hova (Heritage Over Vandalism Actually), which now has 1,849 members and three residents' associations plus the Brighton Society as members.

Mr Fines said even though the tallest tower would now be only 20 storeys high, this was still twice the height of the tallest buildings on Hove seafront.

He said: "It is similar to some of the tallest buildings in the city, such as Theobald House and Chartwell Court."

Mr Fines said the high density of the housing would cause problems with parking, loss of privacy and disturbance.

The King Alfred site could not take all the housing as well as a new leisure centre.

He said: "The proposed changes represent a desperate attempt to allay public opposition while still maximising the value of the council's land holding."

Central Hove Tory councillors Jan Young and Averil Older said the new proposals were too high a price for Hove to pay for even the most modern leisure centre.

They said: "It is time to go back to the drawing board and to waste no more time, energy or money on this ridiculous scheme, which is being forced upon us."

Wednesday June 23, 2004