Greens are opposing plans to spend city council cash on helping the Dome arts centre in Brighton.

Brighton and Hove City Council's policy committee is being recommended tonight to aid Brighton Festival, which runs the restored building, with £600,000 over three years after economic forecasts proved over-optimistic.

But Green convenor Keith Taylor said: "We feel officers should investigate other ways of helping the Dome recovery programme without adding to the tax burden.

"We are taking this step reluctantly as the Government grant means there will be an £18 million funding gap in the budget this year.

"These cutbacks are forcing us to make stark choices - between council services and what most people regard as a luxury.

"If the Festival needs to be cut back for a few years then that is a price the Government has forced us to pay.

"While we are fervent supporters of the Dome, at a time when we are facing a huge shortfall equating to a 21 per cent tax increase we feel we cannot add to that burden by bridging the gap left by inefficient planning, especially bearing in mind the overwhelming majority of tax payers neither participates in nor directly benefits from the Dome or Festival."

Tory Opposition leader Brian Oxley said: "I am not at all happy about this and will only vote for the recommendations as we believe in the need to have the Dome.

"But I think councillors and the city have been very badly let down in the way this has been handled.

"At some point, given the financial problems piled on by the Government, the council is going to have to bite the bullet when these kinds of problem arise. Throwing money at things is not always the answer."