Plans to redevelop the King Alfred leisure centre remain on course despite a change in council control.

There was speculation after the Brighton and Hove City Council elections in May that controversial multi-million pound plans for the site in Hove might be abandoned.

Labour, which controlled the council and backed the plans, lost seats and now no party has overall control.

The policy committee has to decide between two rival schemes for the site on Thursday next week, at a meeting which will be heard partly in private.

Each scheme complies with the council suggestion that housing should be built on part of the site to fund a new leisure centre.

One scheme by Karis/Ing is for four tower blocks of housing and a single-storey leisure centre.

The other, by Barratt/Brunswick, has four smaller blocks plus a fifth to house the leisure centre.

The minority Labour administration still wants to carry the scheme forward but will have to gain backing from at least one other group to do so.

It looks as if the Greens will want to continue with the project mainly because of the large amount of affordable housing that would be involved.

Neither Labour nor the Greens would say anything before the crucial decision is taken.

But the other two parties still oppose the concept of tower blocks of housing on the site.

Opposition Tory leader Brian Oxley said: "We are not happy with either scheme and I think the administration should have sought a consensus given the change in the council composition and how much of an issue it was in Central Hove.

"Its policy was defeated by people living there as Labour came third in the ward.

"Even if you take a city-wide view, you still have to take into account the views of those who live nearby.

"I sincerely believe it would be doomsday for Hove seafront if either scheme went ahead.

"We are talking about towers three times the size of the flats near Hove station.

"This is not Manhattan or the London Docklands. It has to be horses for courses. The council needs to recognise this and come forward with alternatives."

Liberal Democrat group leader Paul Elgood said: "There is no question the sporting facilities offered by both consortia look outstanding.

"We simply feel the tower blocks are inappropriate and out of proportion for this part of the city."

At present the Karis/Ing proposal is a narrow favourite.

An independent study has shown the financial benefits to the council would be much the same in either scheme.

But the Karis/Ing project is considered to be much more beneficial in most respects for the economy of the city.

Once a developer has been selected, the consortium will have to produce a scheme to go through the planning process.