Recently-introduced Parking restrictions in Highcroft Villas, Brighton, have left vast areas of the street without cars while motorists park dangerously in nearby streets.

It is now almost impossible for pedestrians to cross Wincombe Road safely and driving out on to Dyke Road is positively dangerous due to cars parked on corners preventing a clear view. This must also be dangerous for children going to the local schools.

In an area where parking was never a problem, the council has imposed an 8am-8pm restriction seven days a week, making it more stringent than certain parts of the seafront.

Why have we got these new restrictions? My guess is to make money. The council cannot raise council tax any more so extending current parking regulations is an easy way of increasing revenue - after all, the car is evil.

Most of us accept we have no divine right to park outside our house and we are privileged to own more than one car.

But the council must accept that not all residents live within an easy public transport journey from their place of work. Parking is always difficult and an easy target but these restrictions are a back door tax and the council should be exposed for it.

I have no problem with increasing restrictions to give residents rights on certain days (Party in the Park etc) and charging non-residents. However, when our council tax is rising rapidly, to increase parking costs and thus force residents who cannot afford to pay to park in potentially dangerous places is an ill-conceived policy.

Someone should have considered where the cars would be parked. The cycle lane on Dyke Road is now strewn with cars, making cyclists less able to use it and maybe forcing more to use cars.

Traffic wardens only patrol the resident/metered bays as they can earn money there - I have yet to see a ticket on a car parked across a corner and obstructing access to pedestrians and other road users.

Who are the councillors who openly support this form of back door tax? As elections are coming up, the candidate who offers alternatives to this may just be a vote winner.

-Neil Campbell, Brighton