Brighton and Hove council officials have performed a u-turn on parking charges.

Residents and traders in Seven Dials were furious when new parking tariffs split the area in two.

Motorists faced a £2.50 difference in the price of an hour’s parking depending on which street they parked in.

Now pay and display charges have been reduced for one and two hours along Dyke Road, between Compton Avenue and Bath Street.

Visitors and shoppers both north and south of the Seven Dials roundabout to the area can park for £1 for an hour or £2 for two hours.

The council says this section is now a low tariff zone.

A spokeswoman said the reduced tariffs will complement plans to improve the Seven Dials area and bring road safety and environmental improvements.

The move comes in the wake of The Argus’s Park The Charges campaign, which calls on the council to review the new parking charges across the city.

The newspaper launched the campaign as businesses and residents spoke of the impact that the new charges were having on them.

Steve Little, the manager of the Tin Drum in Dyke Road, Seven Dials, said he was pleased the council had listened to the concerns of those who live and work in the area.

He said: “I am glad they have listened to sense. The logic of its initial policy defeated me. The council had to lower the charges to make them the same for all. It was the only we could survive.”

Ian Davey , the chair of the council’s transport committee, said: “We’re pleased to put in place these adjustments as a response to the practical concerns of businesses.

“We’ve made an adjustment to the boundary edge of the high and low tariff zones to help bring together the northern and southern sections of Dyke Road “We’re working hard to support local traders and I look forward to working with them and residents to create a better environment for residents, traders and shoppers.”