Councils should be given a greater share of a proposed new levy on late-opening bars and nightclubs to fund community safety projects, it is claimed.

A Government consultation closed this week on the proposed late night levy which could see bars and shops selling alcohol past midnight hit with a levy of more than £1,000.

The money raised by the so-called vomit tax could then be used to improve safety with taxi marshals, street wardens and street cleaning projects paid for.

However concerns have been raised that the current proposals of 30% of the levy going to councils and the remainder going to police forces would not generate enough revenue to fund such projects.

Brighton and Hove Labour and Tory councillors are among those calling for a rethink.

The new measures will depend on the appointment of a Police and Crime Commissioner with the newly elected police chief given the responsibility of deciding whether it is appropriate to introduce the levy locally.

Brighton and Hove City Council, which would be responsible for collecting the levy, said it did not expect it to come into effect before October.

Risks Under the proposals a property selling alcohol between midnight and 6am could pay £1,500 a year if it was already paying the top level of business rates.

Funding raised for police forces could be spent on high-profile policing initiatives to tackle violent or disorderly behaviour or education programmes aimed at parents, teachers or bar staff.

Labour councillor Warren Morgan said: “When Labour ran the city council we were able to fund taxi rank wardens and additional night economy security via the community safety team and won Beacon Status for managing the night time economy.

“We believe that the balance needs to be redressed in favour of local authorities, and locally this would fit well with the increased joint working with the police.”

Conservative group leader Geoffrey Theobald said: “If we are going to have a levy I would like to see more money going to the local authority to pay for the taxi marshalling, litter and other things the council is responsible for.”

Mehboob Khan, the chairman of the Local Government Association which represents council leaders, said: “The introduction of a late night levy is a definite step in the right direction, but the current plans for how the money can be used risks taxpayers still being left to pick up the bill because it fails to recognise the significant contribution made by local authorities.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: “It is too early to say how it will affect Brighton and Hove as the Home Office consultation continued until this week.”