The Lib Dems have adopted such an opportunist approach to parking in Brighton and Hove they are tying themselves in knots. In Environment Committee, Councillor Jenny Barnard-Langston was alone in voting against a residents' parking scheme for Goldsmid.

This scheme was based on an extensive consultation going back more than two years. It will make it easier for Goldsmid residents to park near their homes, give them priority over commuters and keep traffic moving through effective enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are also backing traders' demands for permits that would allow them to park all day in any residents' bay in the city. Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council's parking policy is based on putting residents first. The Lib Dem approach seems to involve jumping on every bandwagon that passes.

-Coun Simon Battle, Transport Spokesman, Brighton and Hove City Council