A vicar says redundant or little-used churches should be turned into "centres of excellence".

The Church of England is reviewing the use of its buildings in Brighton and Hove and most other denominations are undertaking similar surveys.

Father Alan Sharpe is in charge of St Patrick's Church, in Hove, which has been partly converted to house homeless people.

But the most historic and beautiful part of the building in Cambridge Road has been restored as a place of worship.

Fr Sharpe said everyone should be consulted about the future use of churches, including non-believers - otherwise decisions would be taken by people on the other side of the Downs who had no idea of what it was like to live in Brighton and Hove.

Fr Sharpe said St Patrick's had been given new life by a conversion which helped the community and kept part of the building as a church.

The review panel is being chaired by former Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive Glynn Jones at the request of the new Bishop of Chichester, the Right Reverend John Hind. The review could take up to two years.

Canon Douglas McKittrick, vicar and rural dean of Brighton, said: "This review does not mean a number of our churches will close but it does give us a great opportunity to look at different styles of ministry in the context of increasing financial burdens being placed on congregations."

Among the buildings being looked at is Canon McKittrick's own parish church of St Peter's in York Place.

Although the regular congregation numbers only about 100 people, it needs repairs of at least £1.5 million.

Many churches are on valuable sites, such as St Augustine's in Stanford Avenue, Brighton, and Holy Trinity in Blatchington Road, Hove.