PARKING charges are to go up in some streets and two car parks in Brighton and Hove.

But for most places, charges will be frozen for the financial year ahead.

The freeze applies to resident and visitor permits as well as permits for businesses and traders.

Members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee approved the increases for on-street areas described as low and medium demand.

The rise in charges agreed at a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon will take effect from April.

Two-hour and four-hour parking charges in medium-demand zones will increase by between 4.8 per cent and 7.1 per cent.

In part of zone Y – from The Level to Cheapside, Brighton Station – and in zone M – in the Brunswick area of Hove – on-street parking charges will rise from £4.20 to £4.50 for a stay of between one and two hours and from £6.20 to £6.50 for a stay of between two and four hours.

The 11-hour fee in the low-demand zones in the outer parts of Brighton and Hove will go up 5.8 per cent from £5.20 to £5.50.

The rise affects zones A, C, E, F, G, J, N, O, Q, R, T and W which can be found on the council’s parking zone map.

Charges on the seafront pay and display zones will rise by between one per cent and 9.4 per cent.

Seafront parking along Madeira Drive west of the lift, goes up 9.4 per cent from £3.20 to £3.50 for an hour in the summer season – from the start of March to the end of October.

There are no changes to charges for Madeira Drive east of the lift – or during the winter for the west.

In Kingsway, Hove, on-street parking charges will go up 7.1 per cent from £4.20 to £4.50 for between one and two hours and by 4.8 per cent from £6.20 to 6.50 for between two and four hours. Parking for up to 11 hours will cost one per cent more, rising from £10.40 to £10.50.

Car park prices will stay the same except at two car parks where workers often stay for the day – Norton Road, opposite Hove Town Hall, and London Road, in Brighton. The rises are aimed at moderating demand.

At Norton Road, the price for parking for two to four hours rises 9.4 per cent from £3.20 to £3.50. For four to five hours the price rises 7.1 per cent from £4.20 to £4.50, for up to nine hours the price rises 5.8 per cent from £5.20 to £5.50, and for up to 12 hours it goes up 8.3 per cent from £6 to £6.50.

At London Road, drivers will pay 12.5 per cent more for between four and nine hours with the charge going up from £8 to £9. The other charges will stay the same.

Conservative councillor Lee Wares asked if any additional surplus could be used to reduce the cost of traders’ permits.

Labour councillor Gill Mitchell, who chairs the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said it could be considered in the future.

Any profits from parking charges must be used for transport-related projects and about two thirds is spent on concessionary bus fares, mostly for pensioners.

Last year new parking zones brought in an extra £1.5 million which was spent on fixing potholes.