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The £420m redevelopment of a crumbling hospital building in Brighton has been approved by Town Hall chiefs.

Brighton and Hove City Council agreed the hospital trust can replace the Royal Sussex County Hospital with a new 12-storey block.

It will serve as a major trauma centre for Sussex, treating hundreds of injured patients who would otherwise be sent to London hospitals.

Environmental groups said it would lead to an unacceptable increase in traffic.

The proposal also includes a helicopter landing pad and an underground car park.

The trust's chief executive Duncan Selbie said: "It pre-dates Florence Nightingale so it's about time.

"If you've had a loved one or you've been a patient in the hospital, you would know why it's so necessary."

Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth (BHFOE) said the trust should spend money on improving public transport links and cycle routes.

Chris Todd, from BHFOE, said: "We desperately need a new hospital, but we need more traffic like a hole in the head.

"This development should be fit for the 21st Century, not one stuck in the past."