Skyscraper plan sparks city row

The glass-tipped tower would have stood 158 metres tall on a site which is currently home to the Odeon cinema and Event II nightclub on the corner of West Street and King's Road.

At 43 floors, tapering to a glass point, it would have become the tallest building in a city already preparing for a rash of high-rise developments including the Marina Tower, the King Alfred Centre in Hove and the i360 observation mast at Regency Square.

The image was created by architects RMJM, on behalf of property giant Standard Life Investments, which owns the Kingswest Centre and Churchill Square Shopping Centre. RMJM's other credits include the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Marion Hardman of Four Communications, the public relations firm representing Standard Life Investments, said the image is out of date and the company will issue a revised design later this week.

But council leader Simon Burgess says the idea will never become a reality.

He said: "I find it inconceivable that our planning officers would consider giving approval to this. I want to crush any thoughts that this council is about building tall buildings all over the city because it is not."

Brighton and Hove City Council planning officers were in discussions with Standard Life Investments yesterday over a joint redevelopment that would connect Churchill Square and the Kingswest Centre with the Brighton Centre.

The Brighton Centre has been lined up as a potential site for a high-rise building.

But Councillor Burgess said: "I'm disappointed that they have gone ahead and done this without talking to us about it. They haven't worked on any of these ideas for a very tall building in the location with us at all."

David Paine, investment director for Standard Life Investments, said: "We are currently talking to Brighton and Hove about the future of the Brighton Conference Centre and we will not be discussing any speculation about the site."