A councillor has been accused of double standards for trying to turn her front yard into a car park while criticising others for doing the same.

Brighton and Hove City councillor Juliet McCaffery has submitted a planning application to remove part of her front wall to make a concrete driveway for two cars at the side of her house, which lies in a conservation area.

The councillor, of Clermont Terrace, Brighton, said: "I would oppose others doing the same because it destroys the unity of the conservation area.

"But my case is an exception because mine is not a garden and on my side of the road there are already blocks of flats so the conservation area is not intact. It's a very specific case."

Coun McCaffery, who represents Preston Park, said Parking in her neighbourhood had become more difficult since controlled parking had been introduced in the nearby Prestonville area.

She said: "Parking spaces north of the railway line are extremely heavily used now because people are parking there rather than in the controlled zone. Everyone on my side of the road has a driveway except me.

"As we have space at the side of the house it seemed sensible to build a driveway and take our two cars off the road.

"We will be removing a diseased hedge and unattractive trees, making our front more attractive and providing more space on the road for others."

Political opponents said they were not convinced Coun McCaffery's case was special.

Fellow ward councillor Richard Mallender, of the Green Party, said: "It's disappointing she is doing this. The solution this city needs is not to make more space for cars but more space for different forms of transport.

"We need to shift from our over-reliance on cars to using buses, trains, bicycles and walking.

"What we must not do is give up and keep making more space for cars. The more space you make for them, the more will come, not just in Brighton but all over the UK."

Coun Mallender said his fellow councillor was guilty of hypocrisy.

He said: "Labour is pushing an environmental agenda, then making more space for cars. It's pretty hypocritical to say no one else can do it but I can."

Conservative councillor Ken Norman, who represents the neighbouring ward of Withdean, also accused Coun McCaffery of double standards.

He said: "Labour councillors do generally oppose new car parking spaces and it's council policy to keep them to a minimum.

"I'm not against creating car parking spaces but in a conservation area I would worry if it was going to change the character of the area."

The Environment Agency raised concerns about the consequences of large numbers of home owners concreting over their gardens.

A spokeswoman said: "Householders should consider that in some cases it could increase the risks of flooding if water is unable to soak away.

"There are steps that people can take to reduce this risk such as using gravel instead of concrete or having ponds in the garden, which can be designed to accommodate some water during storms."