A major hotel chain has been chosen to run a three-star hotel in the shadow of the tallest building planned for Sussex.

Jurys Inn, owned by the Jurys Doyle company which has just reported a rise in pretax profits to more than £31 million, is to operate the six-storey hotel proposed for the New England Quarter in Brighton.

The hotel would be built in the shadow of the 42-storey Radisson SAS tower planned for the 15-acre site next to Brighton railway station.

Jurys Inn has hotels in big towns and cities throughout Britain and Ireland. They have fixed budget rates for rooms and usually include a bar and restaurant.

The group's pre-tax profits rose by seven per cent in 2004, up to £31.19 million.

Property developer Osborn Securities has put forward a planning application for the 262-bedroom hotel to be built on the former railway goods yard.

Paul Newman, the property director of Osborn Securities, said: "A number of parties expressed an interest but we felt Jurys were complementary to everything the development was about."

Osborn Securities also plans to build a four-storey office block, a public open space and piazza and a landscaped garden.

If permission is granted, the hotel could open by late 2006.

Mr Newman said the hotel would not lose customers to the four-star hotel proposed for the skyscraper, which would cater for a different market.

Osborn Securities has developed several properties in Brighton including International House, a major office building near the railway station.

Friday March 4, 2005