Brighton Town Hall is to be transformed into the city hall for the whole of Brighton and Hove.

The change was agreed in principle at a meeting of the city policy committee.

Since Brighton and Hove merged in 1997, there have been two main town halls and a third in Portslade.

The main administrative centre of the city is at King's House in Grand Avenue, Hove.

Under the new move, City Hall will house leadership, councillor services, the chief executive and the management team.

It already has the main council chamber, committee rooms, the register office and the mayor's parlour.

Deputy council leader Jackie Lythell caused controversy when she said: "The focus of the city has moved too far to the west and this hall should become City Hall."

She said parts of the hall had already been renovated and the rest should follow.

But Tory leader Brian Oxley said: "Using the two town halls and King's House gives some balance."

He said people in Hove often felt they were subservient to Brighton.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jenny Barnard-Langston said Brighton Town Hall had deteriorated and should be preserved.

Meanwhile, historic Royal York Buildings, a former hotel bought by Brighton Council in 1929, will be sold off as part of a council cost-cutting plan.

Jackie Lythell said some of the offices, used mainly by social care staff, were in a poor state.

She added: "People are working in appalling conditions."

Parts of the former Royal York Hotel in Old Steine are more than 200 years old.

The listed buildings were transferred to East Sussex County Council in 1974 but came back to the new Brighton and Hove authority six years ago.

The committee also decided to give up using two leased buildings, Ovest House in West Street, and Priory House, next to Brighton Town Hall. Staff will go to other buildings owned by the city council.