HOVE TOWN HALL has been named one of the most at-risk buildings of its era because of council expansion plans.

The Twentieth Century Society has listed the public building in Norton Road in Hove on its most at-risk register, claiming Brighton and Hove City Council's refurbishment plans threaten to “irreparably damage the internal and external coherence of the building”.

But council officials defended the £10 million works as vital and said the building has reached the end of its “useful life”.

The Twentieth Century Society said it had drawn up the at-risk register to highlight the “imminent and ongoing loss” of inspiring twentieth century architecture.

The society warned that all ten, and many more, could be gone within five years.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to refurbish and extend Hove Town Hall to accommodate staff from other council buildings, as part of plans which could see King's House sold.

The work would see extra space created on three floors over the entrance creating a ground floor café and extra office space.

The original Hove Town Hall was destroyed by fire in 1966 and rebuilt to its current design by 1974 with extensions adding a registrar's office, a Citizen's Advice Bureau and a tourist centre in 1991.

The Twentieth Century Society wrote: “Hove Town Hall is an extremely well preserved example of a late brutalist civic building, constructed of glass and concrete.

“The interior is a remarkable example of an early 1970s interior, with materials chosen specifically to harmonise with the exterior use of glass and concrete.

“A proposal has been submitted which seeks to re-glaze the building with green double-glazed units and add an extension to the front entrance, which would irreparably damage the internal and external coherence of the building.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said the refurbishment was part of modernisation to make better use of buildings and better customer access.

She added: “The building fabric and plant at Hove Town Hall has come to the end of its useful life.

“There is a current planning application under consideration and discussions are ongoing with the planning team to agree the colour and finish of the replacement curtain walling to match the profile and pattern of the existing curtain walling and elevational treatment.”