It seems as if nobody is satisfied by Brighton and Hove City Council's new car parking plans, which were discussed at the North Laine Community Association meeting (The Argus, October 11).

This is hardly surprising because those responsible appear to be unaware this is a simple problem in economics.

We are told there is an 18-month waiting list for parking places in Zone G (North Laine) and the proposal is to solve this by replacing the present zones by a few much larger ones. But this will bring problems of its own.

Any school student who has studied economics for a few weeks will know that if you offer something at less than the going rate, it will sell out and then you will get queues.

Car parking spaces in the city are valuable pieces of real estate and those right in the centre are more desirable than those near the outskirts.

The council receives several thousand pounds a year from each voucher parking bay in the high-tariff zone and this is probably something like the going rate.

Yet it gives up most of this income with every parking bay reserved for residents' permit parking. No wonder there is a queue, especially when there is no rationing system, as households can have an unlimited number of residents' permits.

There is no equity in this either, because, in effect, people who choose to live in the city centre and run cars are receiving a subsidy, paid for by those of us who do not have cars.

It may be that for political reasons the council wants to subsidise city centre car owners in this way but it should at least do it with open eyes and should also explain to the public the consequences of this policy.

-Henry Law, Brighton