A building firm boss is calling on firms to unite in a bid to overturn parking charges which are being imposed on the industry.

Alan Sablon of A&A Builders has organised a meeting for builders and traders to air views about Brighton and Hove City Council's decision to charge them for parking in the city.

Many say the charges will make it unviable for them to carry out essential or emergency repairs in the city.

Currently builders can apply to the city council for a waiver which enables them to park on yellow lines, where it is deemed safe, outside where they are working.

From June 5, the council is imposing a £3 a day charge for these waivers.

The Argus reported last Monday about many builders, including Alan Sablon, who were upset about the new initiative.

In response, Mr Sablon is holding a meeting at the Brunswick Pub in Holland Road, Hove, on May 14 at 7.30pm.

He said: "I want to get all the people that are up in arms or worried about the changes together to discuss it. They will be able to put their views forward and then I will take them to the council.

"We are not going to beat the system but we can try to get the council to change the way this has been organised.

"It will be our customers who foot the bill of the increases. The problem is also the inconvenience caused by the waiver system.

"For each job we do we have to get a waiver, which means parking up, then waiting to get it issued.

"Sometimes they cannot issue them because other firms already have the allocated waivers for these roads.

"One day I had to look at three possible jobs. I got waivers for these and to look at them took about 15 minutes each.

"I spent about half an hour getting waivers for 45 minutes of looking at things. It is ridiculous. When the new charges come in this would have cost £9 before I have even started any work.

"There should be some way of introducing a permit for builders where we can park on yellow lines or residents' bays when we are doing a job without having to keep running to the council for each job."

A council spokesman said: "The traders' permit pilot scheme has been designed for locksmiths, emergency plumbers, emergency glass installers and others who need to park for short periods - up to two hours - in the city to carry out their work.

"The pilot scheme is for a three-month period, starting in mid June. It has taken on board the key issues that traders have brought to us regarding being able to use resident parking bays during the day when they are empty and the need for waivers for individual jobs.

"The charges are in line with other similar urban authorities.

"We would welcome, and indeed, expect, feedback from traders about the pilot scheme."