PROPOSALS to turn Grade II listed former council offices into housing have been criticised by a heritage society.

Plans to transform King’s House, Hove, were revealed in January by Mortar Nova Grand Avenue, which bought it from Brighton and Hove City Council in October for £26 million.

The 1970s building would be retained and turned into flats and the 1980s extension and car park would be demolished and replaced by two new buildings, creating a total of about 170 homes on Hove seafront rising ten storeys high.

Now the Regency Society is calling on the planning committee to throw out the plans.

Society chairman Roger Hinton said they represent “over-development”.

He described the design of the proposed new building in Grand Avenue as “ugly”.

Regency Society member David Robson has complained in the society’s objection letter that developers think they must avoid creating tall buildings and in doing so “resort to much denser footprints, reducing open space and compressing the spaces between buildings”.

He added: “The result will be that many of the new flats will have little natural light and unattractive outlooks.”

The letter states: “The society has no objection in principle to the development and accepts the overall strategy of restoring the surviving 19th century south-facing block and converting it back to residential accommodation.

“However, we are very concerned that the current proposals constitute a blatant case of over-development.

“Almost half of the proposed apartments will face into sunless internal spaces and will be totally devoid of any views.

“Sadly, this type of over-development is becoming all too common.

“This is an important site occupying a prominent corner on the seafront.

“It deserves careful and sophisticated handling – qualities that are sadly lacking from the present proposals.”

The planning application, which was submitted on March 19, will be decided in two weeks. It has already received 36 objections and just one letter of support.

To review the application online go to https://planningregister.brighton-hove.gov.uk/application/bh201800869.

A city council spokeswoman said the council did not comment on applications before they go to committee.