The study covers plans like the 'four towers' development in Hove

Brighton and Hove City Council has compiled the study identifying 10 areas in the city where developers will be able to construct buildings higher than six storeys tall.

The move comes as the city tries to find a sustainable solution to meet future housing needs and population growth.

Among the areas covered by the strategy is the site of the former King Alfred leisure centre in Hove.

Plans by renowned architect Frank Gehry for four futuristic towers have already been chosen as the council's preferred development option.

No 'green light'

Canadian-born Gehry, who is best known for his eye-catching Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, has put forward plans that include 438 apartments and a significant proportion of affordable housing.

The council believes the development would inject between �25 and �32m into the local economy and could attract tourists in its own right.

The council stresses that the tall buildings study does not mean the "green light" for all future plans.

TALL BUILDING ZONES Brighton Marina Central seafront Brighton station east Hove station area Shoreham harbour Lewes Road London Road Eastern Road Western seafront/Kingsway Station Road/Boundary Road

Developers will have to meet 25 design criteria and the precise height and siting of any building will still need to be negotiated on individual planning applications.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the environmental committee, said: "The study emphasises the potential contribution tall buildings could make in the city, from ground-breaking architecture, to regeneration of areas, and real opportunities for sustainable development using renewable energy and green spaces.

"The quality of such buildings will enhance our heritage and provide the best kind of living space for future residents."