A HOVE businessman has been chosen to build the £400 million King Alfred scheme.

Rob Starr, working with housebuilder Crest Nicholson, was selected ahead of the French group Bouygues.

Councillors spent an hour and a half behind closed doors coming to the decision this afternoon in a policy and resources committee meeting held at the Brighthelm Centre.

The decision gives the green light for £8 million of public money towards the cost of the £40 million new leisure centre.

The proposal, which is subject to planning permission, is expected to include 565 flats.

Few details of the winning proposal are known but the tallest building in the Starr scheme is expected to be no more than 18-storeys.

Meanwhile the new leisure centre is expected to have a teaching and junior pool, a sports hall of six badminton courts, a three rink bowls hall, gym, workout studio along with parking for 180 cars.

The decision follows almost three years of discussion and preparation in the latest process to build a replacement for the 75-year-old facility.

A planning application is expect in around a year's time with building work set to begin next summer.

The public sports and leisure centre complex could be completed within three years with the accompanying flats finished by 2022.

Many hoped the centre would have an Olympic sized 50m swimming pool but this option was not included in either of the final two submitted bids.

Questions have been raised about the secretive nature of the process which means that residents might never know any details of the Bouygues vision for the leisure centre site.

The council argued it could risk a legal challenge from the losing bidder if it releases detailed information before contracts are signed.

The local authority will formally name The Starr Trust in partnership with developers Crest Nicholson as the proposed scheme this morning.

Rob Starr is the co founder of the Hove-based charity The Starr Trust, which supports young people.

Valerie Paynter, of SaveHove, who campaigned against the previous Frank Gehry development in 2007, said: “I’m cock-a-hoop that the Starr Trust has beaten Bouygues to it.

“I really respect the Starr Trust and I want them to have this income stream.”