A THINK-TANK proposed to help solve some of Brighton and Hove’s more intractable problems has been labelled “weird” by sceptical councillors.

Conservative councillor Andrew Wealls said he was suspicious about the proposal by local charity Pebble Trust to create Better Brighton and Hove! in a bid to identify, analyse and propose solutions to some of the city’s major problems.

The trust has approached Brighton and Hove City Council with an offer of £350,000 to launch the independent think tank as a charity.

No specific issues have been identified but the project could look at inequality or housing.

Other councillors welcomed the proposal with council leader Warren Morgan recommending committee members do not look a “gift horse in the mouth” and Green councillor Ollie Sykes described it as a great offer the council should grasp with both hands.

As part of the agreement the council would provide £250,000 of office space and officer time and the charity would promise to have at least 40 per cent of funding spent on issues the council identified as important.

Other local partners such as the city’s two universities, Sussex Police and American Express, could also contribute up to £50,000 to the think tank which would commission research into city problems.

The trust would bid for additional funds to support further research over its three years of existence – which could be extended if successful.

The think tank would be in addition to the council’s own Fairness Commission, set up September 2015 to find ways of making the city more equal, and Brighton and Hove Connected, a partnership of public sector, business and community leaders exploring key city matters.

Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald questioned the charity’s ability to bring £350,000 to the deal when its most recent accounts revealed a budget of just £130,000 but was given reassurances by council chief executive Geoff Raw that the trust had additional funding available to them.

Mr Raw added the council had lost a significant amount of “policy functions” in staff cuts and did not have the finances to commission significant research.

Cllr Wealls said: “The suggestion of the council’s £250,000 contribution in kind suggests we have empty rooms and council officers drumming their fingers waiting for something to do.

“It just feels quite weird and out of the blue to be honest.”

Fellow Tory Tony Janio said that it would be impossible for the apolitical body to remain apolitical and sought assurances from Cllr Morgan that he would keep his “grubby little fingers” out of the think tanks’ topics for research.

The council leader said it would be for all councillors of all parties to propose what issues the think tank might explore.

Labour’s Emma Daniel said: “We should be excited that people have the confidence in our city and they want to invest money for very little return.”