Development company Sea Space, which is driving the regeneration of Hastings, hopes to get planning permission for the Enviro 21 Innovation Parks and in doing so put Hastings on the map.

It hopes the parks will attract companies from all around the UK - particularly in the rapidly-growing environmental technologies and services sector.

This, Sea Space says, will provide new jobs in the area and add to the local business community.

Sea Space has submitted a planning application for the first of the innovation parks, at the Queensway South site opposite Napier Road.

The plans have been designed by award-winning architects and include nine two-storey units of light manufacturing space accompanied by offices - creating a total of 95,000 sq ft of business space.

It is also proposed that the park includes the Innovation Exchange - a conference venue and visitor centre providing meeting rooms, seminar facilities and a restaurant for use by businesses and residents.

The buildings will be naturally lit and ventilated and use green materials and have been designed to make the most of the sun's energy.

They will also incorporate sustainable drainage systems, brown roofs to encourage biodiversity, a biomass/biofuel boiler to power the site.

A wind turbine may also be used to power the site.

Sea Space hopes to be able to start work in 2008, with the first unit ready a year later.

Keith Sadler, deputy director at Sea Space, said: "This is an exciting scheme which will put the area firmly on the commercial map.

"The Enviro21 Innovation Parks will meet high standards of sustainability and attract companies which either want to be beacons of green business or who operate in the fast-growing 'enviro tech' sector."

Sea Space expects to submit further planning applications for the Innovation Centre, an Energy Centre housing a bio fuel boiler, and potentially a wind turbine on the Queensway South site over the next few months.

It is also developing plans for additional Enviro21 Innovation Parks, with the next site expected to be at Queensway North, two miles from Queensway South.