The developers of a major site in Brighton and Hove say it will provide a huge, revitalising boost to the city.

The New England Consortium has hit back at critics who say the scheme for the Brighton station site should be rejected.

Chris Gilbert, of development managers QED, said the site had been blighted for more than 30 years because successive schemes had been dropped after strong opposition.

He said: "Now another scheme, which is over two years in the making and specifically designed to halt this cycle of decline, is under attack."

Mr Gilbert said the consortium had tried to learn from the criticisms of past proposals.

He said: "This has been done in a spirit of compromise which is so obviously lacking in those of our critics, for whom nothing we propose seems acceptable and who enjoy the luxury of being able to ignore the commercial facts of life."

Mr Gilbert said there had been extensive consultation on the scheme despite attacks on the developers for trying to keep it a secret.

He said: "It has probably been one of the most widely-discussed planning proposals in the city's history."

He said accusations a model of the site had been hidden away were silly since the aim was for as many people to see it as possible.

Mr Gilbert said a new Sainsbury's store in the scheme would boost the London Road area while the old store would be taken over by a leading household goods firm.

Critics had suggested there should be no parking for the store but the 194-space car park was intended for shoppers to encourage them to link trips to London Road with visits to North Laine businesses.

There were many other improvements for pedestrians while cycle routes were also proposed.

Mr Gilbert said developers had been criticised for including two hotels in the scheme despite the fact Brighton and Hove was strenuously promoting itself as a key conference and visitor attraction.

There would also be a new building intended as the headquarters of the leading international education organisation, Study Group, providing 300 jobs.

Its existing buildings in the city would be released for housing.

The station site itself would provide 285 badly-needed houses and flats, many for social housing.

There would also be affordable housing for 300 key workers.

Mr Gilbert said: "Some have been critical of our architectural designs but we do not apologise for them.

"Despite what my critics may say, architecture is a subjective matter. What one person likes, another may not.

"Few major buildings attract universal praise and often architects themselves are the biggest critics of what their colleagues have designed."

Mr Gilbert said: "No scheme of this magnitude will please all the people all the time.

"But we are convinced that what we have devised is by far the best chance yet of bringing to an end the sorry saga of this declining site and giving the area the revitalising investment boost it now richly deserves.

"The council knows how hard we have tried to achieve a successful scheme and we urge councillors to support it."