More young people are needed in Brighton and Hove to revitalise the city, according to the leader of the city council.

During a debate on house building targets, Councillor Ken Bodfish said: "We need to welcome younger people into the city who are economically active to contribute to its dynamism.

"The city must revitalise itself and the only way to do this is to have more people of working age in the city."

Brighton and Hove already has a young population. The 2001 census found the number of residents aged from 20-39 was above the national average while the number in the 45-64 age range fell below.

But Coun Bodfish, speaking at a policy and resources committee meeting yesterday, said the city must continue to provide new homes for young people.

He said: "The city requires a range of accommodation from large family homes to single units."

A council report has predicted the city could grow by 12,000 extra homes over the next two decades.

On July 13 the council will find out how many more homes have been earmarked for the city over that period in the draft South-East plan.

Yesterday councillors expressed concern that there was inadequate infrastructure to deal with the extra people.

Conservative Councillor Mary Mears said the city barely coped with the influx of 27,000 cyclists to Brighton last weekend.

She said: "An additional 12,000 new dwellings means 24,000 more people in these households. We had huge problems at the weekend when the whole city came to a standstill."

Potential problems included a shortage of GPs, overwhelming subscriptions to city schools, parking problems and water shortages.

Coun Mears pointed to a report by the South-East Counties Leaders' Group, which warned of an £8 billion black hole in infrastructure spending across the region.

She said: "I understand the need for housing but we are still a seaside town hemmed in by the Downs and the sea. We are trying to cram so much into this city."

Green councillor Sue Paskins called for further research to find out which sites had infrastructure to cope with additional people.

She said: "We have got to know where we can increase the density of the town." Liberal Democrat leader Paul Elgood called for a series of public meetings to debate the issues surrounding the city's future expansion.