The redevelopment of the King Alfred leisure centre in Hove was cast into doubt last week after it emerged the scheme, designed by architect Frank Gehry, had been hit by the credit crunch. If it flounders, it will join an already extensive list of bold plans for Brighton and Hove which have never made it off the drawing board.

LAWRENCE MARZOUK looks back at some of the most ambitious.

Pleasure Island
Alan Phillips is the man behind the proposed £500 million development known as Pleasure Island.

His dream is of a tropical resort stretching between the two Brighton piers. It includes a skyscraper, casino, houses powered by wind turbines and a glass dome with sandy beaches, rolling waves and a constantly warm climate.

The plans were first put forward in 2006 but disappeared after an early blaze of publicity.

A glass-topped dome would dominate the heart of the resort and the weather inside would be manipulated to create 24-hour sunlight and warmth.

The designers hoped the island two thirds of a mile out to sea would allow people to enjoy all the trappings of an exotic location at a fraction of the cost of travelling to the Caribbean.

Leisure activities would include scuba diving throughout the year.

Mr Phillips also envisaged a cluster of tall buildings rising from the Brighton Centre and Churchill Square.

Speaking to The Argus at the time, Mr Phillips said: "This is a vision and we have to have visionaries. There is a lot of support for this. If you asked everyone in Brighton and Hove what they thought, I think a lot of people would say they are for it. It's new, it's fantastic, it's what the city needs." Critics dismissed the idea as fantasy and the plans have been quietly shelved. Mr Phillips was not available for comment.

  • Chance of success: 1/5
    There has been no movement on this project for some time and it seems unlikely to take to the water.

New pier for Brighton
In 2003, London firm Aros proposed a floating pier for a location along the Brighton and Hove seafront.

An artist's impression showed the futurist design on the site of the Palace Pier but Aros said this was purely for illustrative purposes.

The pier would float on the waves while tethered to the sea bed, rising and falling with the tide. Stretching almost half a mile out to sea, it could contain leisure and commercial space, room for performances, a water taxi station and a windsurfing jetty.

At the end, a 60m high viewing tower and a cable car running the length of the pier would be built. The Aros plans suggested it could replace the West Pier.

Aros said the project could be linked with the proposed rebuilding of the Brighton Centre so it would act as a magnet to people walking down West Street from the railway station and it could create symmetry with the existing piers.

Aros also suggested the pier could fit in with plans for the King Alfred redevelopment in Hove, making it more of an attraction.

Another possible site could be Shoreham harbour, a mile to the west of the King Alfred.

  • Chance of success: 1/5
    If the restoration of the West Pier failed, which had backing at almost all levels, this ambitious project is unlikely to succeed.

Medina House
This "stack of plates" was briefly proposed for the Medina House site in Hove. The 12-storey tower block would have replaced the derelict building in King's Esplanade. Danish architects 3XN claimed the design was similar to their award-winning project for Nordhaven in their home country.

Site owner Sirus Taghan said the design, called Sirus Tower in his honour, had been drawn up by an in-house architect no longer with the firm. He said it was a 21st century version of Embassy Court further along the seafront in Brighton.

New designs were produced earlier this year for the 114-year-old building which was once a public baths. Plans include a building with 12 large apartments with balconies.

Subject to planning regulations there might also be a restaurant on the ground floor and two floors of office or leisure space.

It was suggested the building could be wrapped in a material such as copper, which weathers naturally and would not need repainting.

Coloured panels designed to mirror the coloured doors of the beach huts on Hove lawns were to be fitted to the front of the building over the windows.

Architect Mark Camillin said the design was put forward as a joke to kick-start a debate about what type of building would go on the site. He said the actual design was less wacky and more subtle and that following lengthy consultations with nearby residents, he expected to submit a planning application within the next few months.

  • Chance of success: 4/5
    The architects are confident their application will be submitted soon and the rundown site will be redeveloped.

Brighton Centre
Plans for the redevelopment of the Brighton Centre have been discussed for more than ten years but to date, nothing concrete has emerged from these endless rounds of negotiations.

One of the first schemes proposed was Jara International's plans for a casino, hotel and giant leisure complex over the promenade in King's Road and refurbishment of the Brighton Centre.

One of the central features of the futuristic development would have been a link with Churchill Square allowing shoppers direct access to the seafront.

Jara International had the backing of a consortium ready to pour money into the scheme but it was eventually sidelined by Brighton and Hove City Council.

The most recent £400 million scheme, backed by Standard Life, was dealt a blow recently when the Government blocked a crucial £18.5 million grant.

The new design includes a major conference centre aimed at international organisations, a four-star hotel and an enlarged Churchill Square shopping centre.

A council spokesman said: "The Brighton Centre redevelopment will undoubtedly happen and we hope to be announcing more news about progress within the next couple of months.

"However, the credit crunch is a hiccup and predicting an exact timescale of events is as difficult as predicting exactly what will happen to the economy.

"There's a viable plan for building a new convention centre whenever the economic conditions are right and that is what will happen."

  • Chance of success: 5/5
    The redevelopment is worth £3 billion to the economy and is almost certain to go ahead.

Which one of these schemes would you most like to see go ahead?