Campaigners fighting the King Alfred development said they were "incensed" after a council submitted a planning application to replace bowling facilities at the site.

Architect Frank Gehry's plans for Hove seafront are still awaiting permission from planners at Brighton and Hove City Council.

If approved, they would mean popular indoor bowls facilities would be bulldozed at the current leisure centre on The Kingsway.

An application to build a new bowls centre, off Hove Park, was submitted by the council on Friday.

Councillors said most bowlers would appreciate the new facilities, which will replace a storage depot at the park in The Droveway, Hove, and have 57 parking spaces.

Nearby residents said they were aghast at what they see as the city council assuming the King Alfred application would be granted.

Valerie Paynter, of the Save Hove campaign, said: "I'm absolutely incensed the council can do this.

What does it think it is? This is treating the democratic process without any respect or decorum.

"How dare it assume committees are there just to rubber stamp what it wants. It wants to pre-empt democracy at will and this planning application shows how it is trying to rush the King Alfred through."

Influential Developer Karis was given a boost two months ago when the council's influential policy and resources committee gave its £300 million plans the go-ahead.

The firm then handed in a planning application for the scheme, which is expected to be discussed by the planning committee in a month.

Campaigners said they were amazed the council has spent more than £6,500 on its own application to replace the bowling facilities before a final decision on the King Alfred has been granted and just two weeks after the Karis proposal was published.

David Biggs, of nearby St Leonard's Gardens, Hove, said: "To me this smacks of hypocrisy. How can it do this when planning permission for the King Alfred hasn't been granted yet?"

The new indoor bowling facility is likely to cost about £2.5 million.

Council officers said Karis had already offered to pay the money when the Hove seafront site was redeveloped.

Alan Stone, a spokesman for the council, said: "Campaigners have a view but there are others. Bowlers, for example, are likely to be pleased proposals to replace the bowls facilities elsewhere are being taken seriously.

This is part of the huge package of sporting and housing benefits the city would get if we get the King Alfred scheme to generate the money. This group is upset about it.

Far more people will be pleased."

The council spokesman refused to answer accusations the proposals assumed the King Alfred would go through or that they were being rushed.