Business leaders say a rise in parking charges introduced today could cost jobs.

They fear the increases could drive customers away from the High Street to out-of-town superstores where parking is free.

Charges will increase from £2 to £3 an hour for parking in the centre of Brighton and Hove.

Fees will rise from 10p to 50p an hour in other areas of the city.

It is estimated the move will net an extra £3 million a year for Brighton and Hove City Council from motorists.

Keith Bryden, chairman of Hove Business Association, warned the price rise could result in some shops closing and jobs being lost.

He said: "We are enraged, absolutely spitting mad, that the council has gone ahead with this regardless of what we said to them during consultation.

"The one thing we told them not to change was the cheap parking, which helped to attract customers.

"Drivers have told us they would rather go to the big multiples, where the parking is free, than have to pay these charges.

"There is absolutely no doubt that this is going to hit the smaller businesses very hard indeed.

"The knock-on effect of that is that there is a very real possibility that we will see job losses and some businesses having to close.

"We worked very closely with JMP, the council's consultants, on the parking issues affecting Hove.

"They have done the exact opposite of what we advised and we feel absolutely betrayed by them."

Tory councillors last month asked Brighton and Hove City Council to call in the decision by its policy committee to increase charges.

Conservative group leader Garry Peltzer Dunn said then: "Traders in the centre of Hove will suffer because people will no longer be able to pop to their local shops."

Councillor Ted Kemble refused to support the increases, saying: "They are just another tax on the motorist."

Labour council leader Ken Bodfish said the increases had been properly approved by a clear majority after a full debate.

The aim of the higher charges is to encourage drivers to use public transport or to cycle or walk into the city centre.

Council environment director Jenny Rowlands believes the old charges were too low and in some areas much lower than the £2.50 price of a Saver bus ticket. Charges will also rise for pay-and-display in Madeira Drive and Kingsway to £1 an hour.

However, a three-hour stay will be cheaper at Haddington Street car park in Hove.

No change is proposed to charges at The Lanes, London Road and King Alfred car parks, which are all council-owned and operated, or at car parks in Rottingdean.