A row has erupted over proposals to ban parking along a busy road.

Councillors from the Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council voted with Conservatives to put forward a proposal to continue to allow parking along Elm Grove in Brighton, as well as scrapping plans for two new cycle hangars in St Leonards Road following complaints from some residents.

However, Green councillor Elaine Hills, who represents the Hanover and Elm Grove ward, said that the decision “dilutes air quality measures” in the city and goes against the wishes of residents.

She also said only the Green Party would take “genuine action” to improve the environment and encourage sustainable travel in the city.

Cllr Hills said: “Greens are pushing hard to create a safer, more sustainable Brighton and Hove.

“Labour say they want this too but their actions at the environment, transport and sustainability committee told a different story,

“Labour put in amendments and voted with the Conservatives to dilute air quality measures, delay a move towards banning the dangerous pavement parking on Elm Grove and not to proceed with two bike hangars requested by residents.

“If you want genuine action to improve the environment and measures to encourage sustainable travel in Brighton and Hove, vote Green in the local elections next May.”

In the meeting of the environment, transport and sustainability committee last week, Cllr Hills said most residents along Elm Grove had wanted an end to pavement parking.

She said: “Most people who live there have suffered this for years. Cars have to drive along the pavement as there is often no way into a space.

“One resident said they had to pull their small child away from a car because it was driving near her house.”

Labour councillor for Central Hove Gary Wilkinson said while the party supports moves to encourage sustainable travel, “vanity projects” were not the answer.

He said: “Labour want genuine action to improve the environment and measures to encourage sustainable travel in Brighton and Hove and have demonstrated this both in administration and in opposition.

“However, we need to listen and bring our communities on this journey by offering practical solutions not vanity projects that create issues for our residents or knee-jerk responses that only exacerbate an existing problem rather than fixing it.”