The latest multi-million scheme for saving a devastated pier will be unveiled after months of negotiations with private bidders.

An announcement on the new proposal for Brighton's West Pier is expected next month after three groups submitted plans to overhaul the site costing between £15 and £25 million.

The latest step in the campaign to rebuild the Victorian pier was confirmed by the West Pier Trust in a newsletter to its 1,500-plus members.

Two separate consortia of businesses, including companies involved in previous negotiations with the trust, have sent proposals outlining costs, funding and details of how they would use the site.

A national group has sent a third scheme which the trust will examine with Brighton and Hove City Council officers and English Heritage experts.

Dr Geoff Lockwood, trust chief executive, said: "We are in the final stages of assessing plans before selecting our private partner next month.

"All three are working to create something which is heritage creation as well as retention and we are looking at an 80 per cent chance of this development happening.

The trust refused to name any of the companies behind the proposals but confirmed several local businesses were involved.

Details of the schemes remain secret but are rumoured to include leisure and businesses and even one architectural design described as an artwork.

The plans involve building a new pier using surviving elements of the current structure.

Each will allow for complete restoration of the West Pier if funding becomes available.

Dr Lockwood said: "We want to maximise the heritage already there and use architecture to ensure it blends with the pier as well as providing a new icon for the city. None of the developments will be competing directly with the Palace Pier but the designs are leisure-based."