Plans for a futuristic block of luxury flats in an historic village near Brighton have failed to win over council officers.

They are recommending members of Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee throw out the proposal for the building, suggested for a seafront site in Rottingdean.

The eight-storey circular block would be "inappropriate for the location, unduly prominent and incongruous to the village", they say.

Planning officers made their recommendation after visiting the Marine Drive site and studying plans by Brighton architects Alan Phillips Associates.

The officers' decision will be welcome news for campaigners in Rottingdean, where the proposal has sparked a furore.

The proposed tower is on a plot behind the sea end of High Street. The house is owned by Harold Williams, who is also chairman of Rottingdean Trades, Business and Professional Association.

The scheme would involve the demolition of his luxury seaside home.

He was forced to resign from Rottingdean Parish Council because of a conflict of interest over the proposal, which has sparked protests from the majority of residents.

Campaigners have formed the Whitecliffs Action Group and appointed DJ Andy Mac, who works alongside Norman Cook at Skint Records, as their spokesman.

A petition with 3,000 signatures opposing the development has been handed to the city council.

Andy Mac's family home would be overlooked by the tower.

He said: "We hope the committee will now see sense and reject this application and subsequent ones and insist a detached house remains on the site.

"We expect another application, which is not too high, will be put in by the architects if this one is rejected so the fight to save Rottingdean goes on."

Mr Williams said: "The matter is out of my hands. I put the house on the market and then property developers began to show an interest."

Residents are also gearing up to fight another block of flats proposed for Marine Drive.

Developers Barratt plan to knock down the former Newick House nursing home and build a three-storey block of 24 flats on the site.

Gillian Hall, who has lived in the village for 30 years, and whose home backs on to the proposed Barratt development, said: "It seems developers want to turn Rottingdean into Miami."

The scheme will be considered by planners on September 3.