LABOUR will target building 500 council homes, adding a new secondary school and will seek to eliminate youth unemployment if they gain control of Brighton and Hove City Council.

Those are the promises made by the Labour party as it launched its ten key pledges to voters last night.

The party also said they would look to create a Living Wage economy in the city, combat zero-hours contracts and keep any council tax and parking rises to no higher than inflation.

But the plans have been dismissed by opposition councillors who said the proposals “don’t add up” and were “pie-in-the-sky” thinking.

Labour have promised that they would make collecting refuse, increasing recycling and cleaning streets a top priority by having senior councillors oversee CityClean’s service. But Green council leader Jason Kitcat said that was already happening under his administration.

He also said that a labour promise for a new school was already being met by proposals for Toads Hole Valley.

Councillor Kitcat said: “They are promising to build 500 council houses in five years’ time with no indication of how they might fund this nor their pie-in-the-sky claim to eliminate youth unemployment.” Conservative group Leader Geoffrey Theobald said: “It is an uncosted wish list with absolutely no explanation of how the ‘contract’ will be delivered.”

Labour group leader Warren Morgan launched the Labour’ contract with Brighton and Hove at the Brighton Wheel last night promising to secure 40% affordable housing in new developments.

Councillor Morgan said: “These commitments will form the foundations of our detailed manifesto next year, and the direction of travel of our Labour administration for the four years of our term of office if elected in May.”

To sign the contract see brightonhovelabour.com.