Traders will continue direct action protests against a council's Parking policy after dismissing a compromise offer as "a joke".

Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday announced changes to its parking arrangements but refused to budge on the controversial £3 parking waivers.

The waivers allow traders to park on single and double-yellow lines.

But traders such as builders, plumbers, electricians and roofers claim the charges are too high and are forcing them out of the city.

Traders Against Parking Persecution (Tapp) has held four protest days involving convoys of white vans driving slowly along the seafront.

They are also angry at having to queue for the waivers each day and want permanent waivers on a quarterly or annual basis or a voucher system.

Environment committee chair Chris Morley yesterday said traders with parking permits would be allowed in residents' bays for four hours rather than two but no later than 4pm.

But Tapp spokesman Roger McArthur said: "They've offered us next to nothing. In fact, they're taking the mickey.

"There will be a lot more protests."

Councillors on the ruling Labour group insisted residents' parking needs had to take priority.

Coun Morley suggested traders bought quarterly parking permits for £75 to park in shared or pay-and-display spaces, or pay £2 a day to park in long-term spaces.

The council is increasing the number of traders' permits issued at a time from 150 and 200 and its North Road parking shop is opening earlier.

But Mr McArthur said: "Wardens are out giving tickets from 7am, yet no one can get waivers until 8.30am in Brighton and 9am in Hove."

Mr McArthur, a builder, estimated the charges introduced last June would cost him and his colleagues £900 a year each.

Members of the People's Parking Protest, set up to protect residents' parking bays, are unhappy the two-hour limit has been increased to four.

Chairman Steve Percy, who lives in Seven Dials, said: "Once more the residents' bays are being attacked. We're so short of bays around here but we kept getting fobbed off."