Parking campaigners have persuaded the council to create 20 new spaces in a congested city centre and believe it may be possible to make hundreds more.

New bays will be drawn up around the West Hill and Seven Dials areas of Brighton in the next few months following a campaign by the People's Parking Protest.

The campaigners successfully proved to the council that many stretches of road currently marked with double yellow lines would be suitable for parking bays.

Group spokesman Steve Percy said: "This shows what can be done with a little bit of effort. If other areas wanted to do the same I'm sure they would be able to."

The shortage of parking spaces in central Brighton and Hove has been an on-going issue for residents.

Many have been placed in waiting lists for parking permits which are expected to last as long as two years because of the shortfall.

Drivers who already hold permits often complain it is difficult to find spaces close to their homes.

Earlier this month the council introduced a new single parking zone for the northern part of the central area which was designed to make more spaces available to more people.

A similar southern central parking zone is due to come into effect within months.

Mr Percy and fellow PPP member Reg Woodhouse spent two hours on a walking tour of the West Hill and Seven Dials area on Friday along with council parking officials.

They pointed out a series of stretches of double yellow lines which were long enough and in the right places to be suitable for parking bays.

After measuring each space to check whether they met with national guidelines the council agreed to transform most into resident parking bays.

Mr Percy said: "They didn't agree to every single one we pointed out but they went for most of them. We found an extra space in almost every street in this area."

Mr Percy said he thought there was probably an equivalent number of unused spaces in each of the old eight central zones, likely to make up at least 100 bays in total, but said it would be down to residents in each area to point them out to the council.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "Parking pressure in some parts of the city is acute and if we can legitimately squeeze a few more parking spaces from areas where parking is already available without compromising safety or access, then we are willing to do so."

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