Drivers face a £40 fine for leaving their car engine running while they are in a parking bay after councillors backed new rules.

Councillors were told that fines would not be dished out to vehicles stopped in traffic, with the rule change intended to target drivers idling elsewhere, including in taxi ranks.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s City Environment, South Downs and the Sea Committee was asked to back a £20 fine for idling.

But at a meeting Green councillor Kerry Pickett asked for the penalty charge to be £40 – in line with similar councils – and reduced to £20 if paid within 10 days.

MOST READ:

Labour councillor Mitchie Alexander backed Councillor Pickett’s suggestion.

Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, who chairs the committee, said: “The choice for the fine to be initially set at £20 was based on us having the information that that was the maximum.

“Had we known that £40 was the maximum, then that’s what would have been proposed.”

The committee unanimously agreed to the increase.

Signs are already in place at level crossings, taxi ranks and in the centre of Brighton and Hove as well as in Rottingdean and Portslade, councillors were told. More signs will alert drivers to turn off their engines when stationary.

The law allows council enforcement officers to issue a fixed penalty notice after approaching the driver of a stationary car with its engine running.

Councillors also agreed to halt community protection warnings and community protection notices for small and independent businesses blighted by graffiti.

Councillor Pickett asked whether the move would make any difference to graffiti levels in Brighton and Hove and abstained from voting for the change.

Councillor Rowkins said: “We’ve heard a lot of feedback from small business owners who feel they are the victim of a crime and secondly doubly punished by the threat of a fine from the council. This is in response to those concerns.

“The hope is this shift in approach won’t lead to a significant amount of graffiti left in place but we will continue monitoring throughout this period.”

The council’s graffiti reduction strategy is due to be reviewed later this year.