THE introduction of a controversial parking scheme has been delayed after the council’s pay-and-display machines failed to arrive on time.

Residents had been bracing themselves for the new set of kerbside restrictions on Maldon Road, Matlock Road, Tivoli Crescent North and Tivoli Road in Brighton after workers showed up on Thursday to remove the covers from the parking signs to officially launch the scheme.

But the council was forced into an almost immediate U-turn after a neighbour pointed out the machines needed to enforce the pay-for-parking scheme had not been installed and some of the signs had to be recovered.

Now homeowners have slammed the council for allowing visitors to park on the street for free while they have to pay £120 to park outside their own homes.

Chris Moore, who lives within the enforcement zone, said: “The way I’ve been referring to it is a very unfunny comedy of errors.

“I’ve been amazed by this, my jaw just keeps hitting the floor.”

Another resident, Doris Levison, added the delay meant residents were the worst off because they have already paid for their permits.

She said: “To add insult to injury, workmen took off the black covering from the residents permits-only parking notices, thereby implementing an incomplete and unfair situation whereby residents, in order to comply with the regulations, have had to pay £120 for their annual parking permits by the time the scheme was implemented, whereas other motorists can park free on the pay-and-display bays for at least another three weeks.”

Nigel Goddard, who was at home when workers showed up to unveil the signs, added: “Contractors came along at 9am and they took the covering off all the signs. Then a resident complained there was no pay-and-display machines and the contractors were told to cover the signs up again.

“At the moment anyone can park in these pay and display spaces for nothing.”

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Zone E parking scheme will not be enforced until 19 May due to an unforeseen delay in the delivery of the pay-and-display machines for a small number of shared spaces.

Residents’ permits in the area will automatically be extended by a month to compensate for the delay.”