Developers who hoped to build a six-storey block of flats on the site of a former garage have lodged an appeal.

Brighton and Hove City Council last year threw out Berkeley Homes' plans for the former Caffyns garage showroom site in Kingsway, Hove, saying the development would be out of context with the surrounding area and could lead to a loss of privacy.

Councillors also said developers had not contributed enough money towards improving public transport and many of the 70 flats did not meet guidelines on affordable housing.

The plans also included 924sqm of ground floor offices, a basement car and cycle park and five town houses.

This application, the second submitted for the seafront site by Berkeley Homes, had been scaled down after original proposals for a 12-storey glass tower were rejected by the city council's planning committee one year ago.

Even though the number of storeys was slashed, residents maintained the block was too tall and would be inappropriate for the area, which is dominated by family homes.

The application will now be considered by an independent planning inspector.

The seafront site has been the subject of much controversy since it was vacated by Caffyns and the garage demolished in 2004.

Hove DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, joined the protest when the original 12-storey application was submitted.

He was one of 150 residents, concerned at the prospect of living in the shadow of the tower, who signed a petition which was presented to the city council.

Scores of householders also demonstrated outside Hove Town Hall with Hove MP Celia Barlow, then a parliamentary candidate, when the application was considered.