A controversial link road between two towns could do more harm than good, a report has warned.

Opponents of the £47 million scheme commissioned an independent report from a planning consultant.

It claims the proposed road between Hastings and Bexhill and its resulting business park would move business and employment out of the heart of the area rather than creating new jobs.

But Sea Space, the agency set up by the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) to regenerate the two towns in partnership with East Sussex County Council and Hastings and Rother councils, say the findings are inaccurate and out of date.

Consultant Alan Wenban-Smith, of Urban & Regional Policy, examined the proposed road on behalf of the Hastings Alliance, an umbrella organisation of smaller groups opposed to the scheme.

Although the report endorses Sea Space's general approach to regeneration, Mr Wenban-Smith said: "It is a very, very expensive piece of road so you would need a very good case for spending almost £50 million.

"The justification is almost entirely based on reviving the area's economy but, looking at this from an economic development point of view, my concern is that it will not make sufficient difference to the attractiveness of Hastings.

"I know from bitter experience that if they went ahead and developed the new business park, having invested the money they would have to fill it, probably, with the same small business which have already set up in the town.

"It would be like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic."

The link road plans were put forward after the Government rejected a bypass scheme for Hastings and Bexhill three years ago.

The report's findings were seized upon by those opposed to the road.

Brenda Pollack, of Friends of the Earth, said: "The link road is very similar to the rejected western bypass and suffers from the same basic defect. It would be bad for the environment while doing nothing for the local economy."

Paul Adams, planning and transport manager at Sea Space, rejected the report's conclusion.

He said: "I don't think the person who wrote the report had the level of local knowledge we do.

"The fact is, we are very short of employment space and that is one of many reasons the road is needed."

The Government is expected to make a decision on funding the road next month.