Rainbow coloured street lamps and an ironwork archway would welcome visitors to the heart of a gay community under a new vision.

The blueprint for St James's Street, in the Kemp Town area of Brighton, has been drawn up by Green Party Councillor Simon Williams, who wants to transform the busy shopping centre into a gay version of London's Chinatown.

Coun Williams also wants cars banned from the street at weekends, more cycle racks, better lighting and a bigger police presence to ward off violent homophobes.

The plan is one of four competing visions for St James's Street due to be published in the new edition of gay magazine Gscene tomorrow.

Coun Williams said: "St James's Street, the heart of the unofficial gay village, is a special part of the city, but it's also one that needs special help.

"The exotic mix of shops, cafes, pubs and barbers' shops contributes to a vibrant feel and the community spirit of many of the traders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender businesses, is beyond dispute.

"Yet there's also a history of antisocial behaviour and, sadly, homophobic incidents. The way forward is to improve the street and pavement architecture to provide a more pedestrian-friendly environment so businesses will flourish and local residents and visitors feel safe."

Coun Williams cautioned his plan would need to be implemented "carefully".

He said: "I recognise there are many businesses and residents living in the area who don't attach the same importance to the gay village as the LGBT community does."

Simon Burgess, Labour Party councillor for the area and the author of a rival plan, said: "While his proposals sound very interesting they could sound the death knell for a number of businesses in that street. We can't leap at a single solution to this. It's important it retains the feel of a gay village but it has to be economically sustainable too."

Alan Bond of residents' and traders' forum St James's Action Group, said: "It's true this area is Brighton's gay village but there's a lot more than that going on. Designating an area officially as Brighton's gay zone would make it sound like a ghetto. The majority of people in the area are happy with the way things are."

Do you think Brighton and Hove should have its own gay village or not? Email us with your views at news@theargus.co.uk