Labour councillor Roy Pennington wants a public inquiry into controversial plans to restore Brighton's historic West Pier.

Coun Pennington, who chairs Brighton and Hove's planning committee, has written to Deputy Premier John Prescott asking for the scheme to be called in for decision.

Last month, the committee voted 9-2 in favour of developer St Modwen's plans for pavilions on either side of the West Pier in Brighton needed to make the pier restoration viable.

Coun Pennington did not chair the discussion that day because he was recovering from a stroke. He abstained in the vote.

He said: "The public will expect a full airing of such a controversy. Certainly the residents of Regency Square deserve it."

Coun Pennington is ward councillor for Regency, which includes the West Pier.

He said: "My grounds for having the scheme called in are that the financial issues were not fully examined.

"These are also proposals for development of major importance having more than local significance.

"They have given rise to significant public controversy and have raised important or novel issues of development control."

Fellow ward councillor John Warmington, who spoke for residents at the meeting, is backing his stand.