BUSINESSES could be moving into the second phase of a £5 million seafront regeneration in less than a year as restoration work nears completion.

Brighton and Hove City Council will begin the hunt for tenants to move into new shops, cafes and bars in the repaired and renovated King’s Road Arches later this year.

Work is being done to strengthen the road and the second half of the project is in its final stages after a significant restoration of the city's seafront.

The council is now applying to change the use of the newly created arch units for shops, cafes, bars and a West Pier Museum.

Original plans granted in 2014 to include new beach huts along the seafront are set to be ditched while the council’s own staff are expected to miss out on a plush new home with plans for an office also set to be consigned to the bin.

A council spokesman said the beach huts had been derelict for at least 20 years and there had been no decision taken for any particular tenure for their use as chalets.

Council officers said that with the new arches close to the i360, a mixture of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars were considered a better option.

The authority hopes that a new planning application will ensure the refurbished arches are attractive to a wide range of potential tenants and will help promote the section of the lower promenade as “a vibrant and attractive tourist destination”.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “We stated the most likely uses we had in 2014 when the initial planning application went in – bearing in mind the primary purpose of the scheme is to strengthen the road.

“Thinking has developed and it’s now felt the best way to revitalise the area, benefit the greatest number of people and generate income for future maintenance of the seafront is to secure permission for all these premises to be available for any one of a range of commercial uses.

“These include retail and catering, plus a museum about the West Pier.

“The space earmarked as offices has never been formally allocated to any particular council department and this may not happen now.

“It’s likely we’ll be seeking tenants later this year for an opening in early in 2017.”