A major redevelopment of a prime city centre site is expected to take a giant leap forward.

Developers want to build a new food store on the site of the old gas works off Church Road in Hove.

The scheme also includes a new school on the Malvern Street car park and a playing field on the existing St Andrew's School site.

Brighton and Hove Council, as one of the three landowners involved, is likely to give its approval at a policy committee meeting on Wednesday.

Negotiations will then take place with the other owners, the Diocesan Trustees and British Gas.

The scheme, which was granted planning permission last year, also includes a new pedestrian link to George Street.

There will also be parking at the back both for the new food store and the town centre as a whole.

The new school will be bigger than the existing one, which is a popular choice for many parents.

A report to councillors says: "Environmental improvement could be secured by the comprehensive redevelopment of the site."

Several attempts to improve the site been made over the last 15 years.

One difficulty has been the position of the school, in the middle of the site. Under the present scheme it will be replaced at the developer's expense.

Hove MP Ivor Caplin said: "This is good news for the centre of Hove. The gasometer and the whole site are now a blight on the centre."