Councillors are likely to give away two narrow strips of land worth almost £100,000 after a housing development scheme was put on hold.

The development site, sold to the Guinness Trust by Brighton University, is on the corner of John Street and Carlton Hill in Brighton and is being used as a temporary car park. The strips are on the edge.

Planning permission was approved and work was set to begin on the £1.5 million project when it was discovered that the council owned the strips that provide access to the site.

One of the strips was bought by the council in the Thirties for slum clearance.

When the strips of land were valued at £95,000, the trust found it would have to raise more finances to continue its plans.

But as the council is keen for the scheme to go ahead it seems likely it will give the strips of land to the trust.

The scheme will provide 26 affordable rented flats with the council holding the nomination rights for tenants.