Brighton and Hove's black and ethnic minority campaign group has expressed an interest in taking over Hove library as its new headquarters.

The future of the library in Church Road hangs in the balance while the city council debates whether to restore it for modern use or to move the books to Hove Town Hall.

Last year the Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership (BMECP) wanted to establish a centre in Gordon Road, Portslade.

But planning permission was refused and the group had to look elsewhere.

Almost £1 million from the Government's Single Regeneration Budget was set aside to establish the centre. But the cash will not remain on the table indefinitely.

City councillor Tehmtan Framroze, who chairs the partnership, said: "We are a success story but we need a centre."

He stressed the centre would be run by the ethnic minorities but would not be restricted to them. It would be available for all local people to meet and enjoy themselves.

Coun Framroze said the central library building in Hove was in a good place, easily reached from the rest of the city.

It would be used to provide meeting rooms, computer suites, education areas and places where people could gather.

Services offered could include those connected with health, giving advice and teaching English.

Coun Framroze has considerable experience of this kind of centre as he was founding chairman of Community Base, now well established in Queen's Road, Brighton.

He stressed, as an ardent library enthusiast, he and the partnership were only in favour of the building if it became available and were not seeking to influence the debate.

The partnership has representatives from countries including Pakistan, India, China, Iran and many African nations.

Peter Field, who chairs the Brighton and Hove Regeneration Partnership, said: "We are very anxious to support them. We will look at anything they care to bring forward."