The redevelopment of a rundown business district has left a recycling project homeless.

Members of the Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project knew when they took over their premises more than three years ago that the move was only ever temporary.

Now they have been told they have a matter of months to quit the municipal market behind Grand Parade, Brighton, and find new premises.

Co-director Christian Bernard said: "We were told we're fine until September but it changes all the time.

"It's very difficult because we need something fairly big because of the nature of our work but we can't afford it in this area that we have spent so much time and effort in supporting.

"We are still hoping for a council property."

The seven-strong not-forprofit environmental group has recycled more than 400 tonnes of wood since its arrival and works with Sussex Youth and charity Tomorrow's People to aid the long-term unemployed in getting back to work.

Mr Bernard said: "We're a small team but we've achieved a lot since we started eight years ago. We have an environmental and a social impact.

"We have an open door policy with people who have never worked, who are a bit lost, and we're collecting waste that would otherwise end up in landfill and transforming it into resources and redistributing it.

"A lot of people are still discovering us. It's not just about selling, it's about something bigger than that."

The recycling project was told of a future development when it was first housed in the market.

The wood recycling scheme moved to its current site next to the marketplace a year ago. It sells planks, floorboards, and even old sea defences.

The council is set to choose a developer for the site at a policy committee meeting on April 19.

Plans will then be drawn up to bring more businesses to the area.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We need to be clear we're not evicting them. They went into Circus Street knowing it was due to be redeveloped and they agreed to take it on that basis.

"The idea is to get far more businesses into Circus Street. This is a council plan, not a developers' plan, to regenerate a rundown area and bring around 800 jobs as well as homes."