Traders have backed plans for reviving one of the biggest brownfield sites on the South Coast.

Most members of a working group have supported a planning brief produced by Brighton and Hove Council for the Brighton station site.

Only Green councillor Keith Taylor and Brighton Urban Development and Design (Budd) against.

Cabinet environment councillor John Ballance said groups in favour included London Road traders, North Laine traders and the North Laine Community Association.

The brief includes housing, a hotel, workshops and a supermarket with many conditions to make the scheme eco-friendly.

The main dispute has been over whether the brief should include a supermarket to make it

viable. Green groups say more housing would be the best option.

Coun Ballance said a change had been made to the brief by the working party to put the onus on any supermarket developers to prove their case for the building.

He added while Budd had put forward some good ideas for the site, it would not budge about the supermarket.

But Coun Taylor said the council had admitted there was no real case for a store on the site.

He added: "There may be some good things in the brief but the sticking point is squandering land on a store when there could be more housing and employment. provision."

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