The designer of a £48 million leisure centre has hit back at critics of the scheme.

John Barrow, director of HOK Sport, said his plans for the King Alfred Centre on Hove seafront would provide more swimming space than that currently provided by the dilapidated Thirties building.

His proposals for a four-storey sports centre cover 11,000sqm and include three swimming pools, a large sports hall with room for up to eight badminton courts, a smaller dry sports hall for table tennis, a fitness suite including a 600sqm gym and a health suite with steam and jacuzzi rooms.

Other facilities include a cafe, a community lounge, a soft play area, a creche with a garden area and an underground car park for 180 vehicles.

The leisure centre would be handed to Brighton and Hove free of charge as part of a deal allowing developer Karis to build 750 Frank Gehry-designed apartments on the site, a proportion of which would be affordable.

Opponents of the scheme have claimed Karis has reduced the scale and content of the leisure centre, and in particular the size of the leisure pool, from what had originally been promised.

Mr Barrow, whose architects also designed the new Wembley Stadium, admitted the designs for the sports centre had undergone some "metamorphosis" during the past two years.

But he rejected the suggestion that the leisure element had been compromised by the pressure to build an increasing number of apartments to pay for the scheme.

Under his plans the competition swimming pool would be increased in size from the six-lane 25m-length pool in the existing King Alfred Centre to an eight-lane 25m length pool in the new centre.

The teaching pool would be more than doubled in size from 95sqm to 200sqm.

It would also be constructed with adjustable floors to alter the depth of the pool plus screens to provide privacy when necessary.

The leisure pool would be reduced by 5sqm from 270sqm to 265sqm.

Mr Barrow said: "People have this idea we are squeezing things down but we are not.

"The leisure pool will be slightly smaller than the existing one but it will be more exciting for children.

"The total water area we are providing will be greater than the existing water area.

"We have had to take into account practical realities and for two years there has been a process of metamorphosis to get the best out of the site.

"But we have met our objectives for accessibility and the sports centre is right at the heart of the scheme."

Councillors will decide whether to grant landowner's consent for the King Alfred scheme at a policy and resources committee meeting on September 12.

If given the go-ahead, Karis is expected to submit its first detailed planning application the following day.