A call for a review of the way £45million of Government regeneration grants were spent in Brighton has been rejected.

Members of Brighton and Hove City Council's overview and scrutiny commission have voted not to launch a new 10-year review into the activities of the EB4U project.

The scheme was set up under the Government's New Deal for Communities programme and was designed to regenerate Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk and other areas of East Brighton.

The funding for the project came to an end this year and EB4U was replaced by the East Brighton Trust.

Councillor Maria Caulfield, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean on the council, called for the review.

She said: "I have received numerous queries and complaints from residents in recent months about how the money has been spent.

"I also have some concerns about the effectiveness of the various programmes in an area with a very high level of council-owned housing."

She said a review had been carried out in 2005 after five years of the project and it would be helpful to have a second scrutiny to see how it had been concluded.

Coun Caulfield said: "A lot of groups which had funding have found themselves in difficulty now it has stopped and I'd like to know whether we could have prepared better for that."

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the commission, said the request had been voted against because there was not enough evidence presented from residents and groups affected.

She said: "It would be an extremely big piece of work to undertake and Coun Caulfield did not give enough specific examples for us to be able to justify it."