Plans are being drawn up to replace Hove's ageing King Alfred leisure centre with a new one costing up to £10 million.

The King Alfred, on the seafront in Kingsway, Hove, is nearing the end of its useful life.

Brighton and Hove City Council plans a new round of public consultation later this year.

A council report says the authority should aim to get the new facility built after openly consulting those interested.

A private company will be sought to pay for the centre in return for permission to develop part of the site.

The council is keeping an open mind on what the rest of the development might include.

But it says the cost of the new sports centre alone will be between £6 million and £10 million, depending on its size and scope.

The council resources committee will be recommended to release £17,000 from reserves to cover initial project planning and development costs next Wednesday.

If all goes well, a consultation document, prepared with local interest groups, will be ready by the end of July.

Public consultation will take place in October and a development brief will be produced in November to attract companies.

Councillor Ian Duncan said: "We're starting from square one with no preconceptions or pre-conditions.

"But I want to stress right from the start this is not about offering people an open wish list or just accepting the views of those who shout loudest.

"Proposals must be practical, financially viable and of the real world. The principal aim is to get a new sports centre because there is a real need for better sports facilities in the city."

Plans by developer Citygrove to build a new sports centre with cinemas, bars and restaurants collapsed in November last year. They were unpopular with nearby residents.