A FAST FOOD chain wants to open a fourth city branch in a listed prime seafront site.

Burger King is planning to open a new restaurant in the ground floor of Grade II listed Clarendon Mansions, in East Street.

Residents are concerned the new burger bar could ruin the seafront's appearance and smells and noise could cause a nuisance.

Conservationists have said they will be looking very closely at the progress of the proposed development.

Plans submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council reveal the chain is seeking to open a 76-seater restaurant that would be open until 11pm every night - and 1am on Saturday nights.

The site is currently leased by Whitbread, who have left the building empty for several years, having failed to find a tenant.

Mayfield-based Saxby Ltd have also applied for listed building consent to install an "external plant".

The plans also reveal the restaurant will generate 480 litres of food waste every day, but give no detail about the proposed look of the new restaurant.

Residents raised concerns that there was an over saturation of fast food chains in the vicinity.

One added the burger bar would be "out of character with East Street and council's objective of gentrification for the old town."

MP Caroline Lucas said: "Brighton doesn't need another multinational fast food chain. A Burger King on East street - when there is already one within half a mile - could be a real blow to the local restaurants.

"Brighton's economy thrives when independent and local businesses are allowed to flourish, not from multinational companies draining profits away from the city.

"I share local residents' concerns about the additional noise, smells and litter associated with this kind of fast food restaurant and I'll be doing all I can to oppose the opening of this new Burger King."

Paul Zara, of Conran and Partners architects in Brighton, said: "Just when you think things are getting better – the i360, with its new restaurants, shops and bars, alongside the restored arches – someone proposes something that drags our city back down again.

"If each new change along the seafront was as good as some recent additions such as The Salt Room, then we could end up with a seafront as good as somewhere like Nice.

"I’m not against having fast food restaurants, they have their place, but don’t dumb down the seafront with another one."

The Regency Society said it had not been made aware of the plans - but said the site lies within a conservation area and is on a vitally important part of the seafront, meaning the conservation advisory group would be looking very closely at the proposals.

Chairman Roger Hinton added: "On a number of occasions I have thought what a pity it isn't being looked after and it is in such a prime position."

Saxby director Daryl Stutchbury, the former franchisee of the Burger King next to the Sealife Centre, is behind the project.

He said: "In its recent history the building has been a squat and a drug den.

"The building's in a very very poor condition. It has been derelict for three or four years.

"What we are trying to establish is what the council would like done with the building and whether we can put a Burger King there.

"It will need something like half a million pounds spending on it to make it useable.

"I haven't spoken to the residents yet, but I have been working on this for a long time."