The price of Parking on Brighton and Hove seafront will rocket by up to 50 per cent next summer.

From April, the charge for two hours' parking between Hove Lawns and Madeira Drive will rise from £1 to £1.50.

A three-hour stay in a pay and display space will go up from £2 to £3 in the high season between April and October.

The summer short-stay price hikes are part of a review of seasonal parking charges which the council says is aimed at encouraging public transport use.

Winter charges for spaces along the beach are also set to rise from next month.

Two hours' parking will go up 40 per cent from 60p to 80p and four hours will rise from £1.50 to £1.80.

The council claims the increases will reverse the growing trend of commuters using the seafront spots, although all-day parking will only rise from £5 to £6 in summer and from £2.10 to £2.50 in the winter.

City transport spokesman Simon Battle said the new charges remained value for money.

But hotel owners and traders warned the resort was in danger of pricing itself out of the tourist market.

The announcement comes two days after The Argus revealed the city council had netted almost £2 million from on-street parking last year.

A council spokesman said: "Charges have remained unchanged since 2000. It is council policy to encourage people to use public transport and discourage commuter parking along the seafront, which has increased since the introduction of decriminalised parking enforcement in July 2001."

Roger Marlowe, who runs Paskins Hotel in Kemp Town and is chairman of the Brighton and Hove Guesthouse Association, said: "It is outrageous that a council will do everything it can to squeeze motorists out of the city. This increase is yet another example.

"The first things people ask when making a booking at our hotel is 'How much is it?' and then 'Where can I park?'

"By continually making it more difficult for motorists to visit they are damaging the economy.

"People do have cars, they do drive them to Brighton and Hove and they want to be able to park near where they stay. More car parks and parking spaces should be made available."

Steve Percy, of the People's Parking Protest, said: "If parking spaces create money that money should go towards creating more parking spaces. That does not happen in this city."

Builder Roger McArthur, of campaign group Traders Against Parking Persecution, said: "Haven't they made enough money already?

"This council is pricing motorists out of the city. It's as if they don't want people to come here."

Coun Battle said: "The parking charges along the seafront are extremely reasonable.

"This summer increase will not come in until April 1 next year."

The council insists the profit from its parking charges goes into projects to benefit motorists, including the introduction of residents' parking schemes.

Maps showing the lengths of road affected by the charges are on display at Brighton library, City Direct in Bartholomew Square, Hove Town Hall and Hove library.

Tuesday September 16, 2003