New developments in the city could be delayed because of a slowdown in the economy, a business chief has warned.

Tony Mernagh, Executive Director of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, made the prediction while participating in our series the Friday Inquisition.

During the one-hour online quizzing from readers while at The Argus offices he wrote: "We have £2.2 billion of development in the pipeline over the next decade and quite an amount of it already has planning consent.

"But the global economic circumstances do not encourage developers to start laying bricks just at the moment. No one knows how long these circumstances will last."

Mr Mernagh was met with a number of questions relating to issues on development and general street improvements. One concerned reader asked what was being done to improve London Road, in Brighton.

He wrote: "It will never compete with Churchill Square, The Lanes and North Laine and it shouldn't try. Its future probably depends on finding a niche that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. So, I am very excited about St James's Investments' plans for a new commercial quarter based around Elder Place and New England Street.

"The injection of thousands of workers in new office accommodation could transform London Road and be a catalyst for new leisure facilities."

The wage gap between earners in Brighton and Hove and London was also discussed in the feature.

Mr Mernagh said the effect on residents meant graduates were underselling themselves. He said: "Quite simply we do not have enough high-paid jobs in the city. Despite having a work force that is amongst the most highly qualified in the UK, we do not have enough jobs that match those qualifications hence 33,000 people commute out of the city every day."

Mr Mernagh said afterwards: "It was good fun. I was surprised by the number of questions posed. I thought not many people would write in, in fact we were working solidly.

"I'm heartened at the interest in business and the economy.

"Possibly the credit crunch and the down turn has stimulated that interest.

"I was surprised also that people were asking why things had not been built in the city. It's good they want things to change."

Don't forget to visit The Argus website, theargus.co.uk, next Friday when you can put your questions on any matter relating to the Brighton Festival to festival producer Jane McMorrow.