A super-green village made of used car tyres and beer cans is set to be given the go-ahead by planning officials.

The pioneering Earthship at Brighton Marina would be the first residential development of its kind in the UK.

Brighton and Hove City Council officers have advised members of the planning committee to approve an application for the development.

Residents would live in homes made from tyres filled with earth.

The 16 one, two and three bedroom detached homes would generate electricity using wind turbines and solar power and would dispose of their own waste, turning human excrement into fertiliser.

Except in times of emergency, they would purify rainwater and treat sewage on site.

Joyce Edmond-Smith, the chairwoman of the council's Sustainability Commission, said: "This would be a fantastic addition to sustainable buildings in Brighton and Hove.

"We have now got a range of developments which show we can reduce our carbon emissions and I hope this will serve as a model. It is very exciting."

Biotecture, the firm behind the application, claims it could revolutionise building practices.

Co-director Daren Howarth, (corr) one of the team behind the application and the prototype community centre Earthship in Stanmer Park, Brighton, said: "Projects like this can be extremely powerful and they are vital as they point to a feasible alternative to current building methods.

"There are Earthship projects taking place across the world from Taos in New Mexico to Southern Spain and there are individual developments happening in France. The Brighton project will be iconic. It is a prime site and the development has the potential to capture the imagination and make a global impact."

Like Brighton's Jubilee Library, the buildings would heat and cool themselves using thermal dynamics, so utility bills are expected to be exceptionally low. More than 15,000 tyres will be needed.

Mr Howarth said the village, nicknamed "the lizard" because of the reptile's ability to control its body temperature, had attracted lots of interest.

He said: "We have generated hundreds of inquiries from a very wide range of potential buyers, including people who are keen to secure one of the six units allocated as affordable through the housing association. We are eagerly anticipating the council's decision and firmly believe that a successful decision next week will set a precedent that challenges both ecological entrepreneurs and mainstream developers alike."

Dozens of neighbours of the site east of Marine Gate and north of Marine Drive have objected, but Mr Howarth said there were many more in support.

Biotecture carried out a feasibility study funded by the Environment Agency and the Energy Saving Trust and has been working in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council and the Chichester Diocese Housing Association.

If approval is granted by the council as planning authority and landowner, the project will be funded by the Cooperative Bank and Ecology Building Society.

A residential Earthship is being built in Normandy by Michael Reynolds, the American architect who built the first Earthship in Taos in 1988 and still lives in it. Mr Reynolds helped Biotecture present the plan to Brighton and Hove City Councillors.

Kevan Trott, owner of the Earthship built in Normandy and co-director of Biotecture, said: "Our French project is the perfect trial run for the Brighton Marina project giving the crew a chance to hone further their skills in the European arena."

The single-storey homes would have floor to ceiling windows to trap sunlight and would recycle water from showers to flush toilets.

Residents would be discouraged from owning cars, but would have access to bicycle parking spaces and a car club. There would be a garden to grow vegetables.

The application will be discussed on Wednesday.

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