PARKING vouchers are to be scrapped across Brighton and Hove.

Pay-and-display machines will replace the old voucher system in January next year after members of the environment committee agreed the change.

But opposition councillors on the policy and resources committee accused environment chairwoman Gill Mitchell of "mean mindedness" for not allowing motorists refunds on any leftover vouchers.

She defended the stance but offered to extend the period of grace when vouchers will still be accepted from two to six weeks, which was agreed.

Council officers are proposing a four-week lead-in to the new system, during which time the authority will use a £20,000 advertising campaign to publicise the change to pay-and-display.

This will be followed by the six-week grace period once the machines have been introduced.

Conservative councillor Ted Kemble said: "People bought these tickets in good faith and two weeks seems a rather short period of time.

"I'm concerned people can't claim refunds."

He was backed by fellow Tory Garry Peltzer Dunn, who said: "It's totally immoral and beneath this council to do this sort of thing."

Green councillor Keith Taylor said: "I think people who don't use the car very often could have a couple of books of vouchers left over.

"I think it's just very mean spirited for us to do this."

Coun Mitchell said the decision about refunds had been made in direct accordance with East Sussex County Council's traffic regulations.

She said: "I'm not aware that a great many people hoard parking vouchers.

"Most park and use them fairly rapidly."

The voucher parking scheme was introduced in 1991 by Brighton Borough Council and required motorists to use a scratch card to show when they parked.

It has been unpopular and the change to pay-and-display was welcomed by most people, who said it would be easier and clearer.

Credit card payments will be available with the new partly solar-powered machines.

In the lead-up to the change, the council will write to all shops selling vouchers to give notice and ask them to publicise the change.

Temporary signs will be put up to warn drivers of the impending change and traffic wardens will be briefed about the grace period.