Residents in a busy area of Brighton and Hove may have to start paying for the right to park their cars.

Brighton and Hove City Council is considering introducing annual residents' permits costing £80 in Kemp Town.

Residents' permits and short-term visitor parking are currently free in the popular shopping district but surveys have revealed abuse of the current system is high.

The council has consulted residents and businesses on changes to the current scheme and will this week decide whether to make revisions.

Councillor Craig Turton, deputy chair of the environment committee, said: "The Area H parking zone came into operation in 1999 and badly needs updating. It should be consistent with other schemes in the city that people pay for.

"We are proposing to introduce a low-tariff scheme to accommodate residents with permits and pay and display for visitors. This has worked successfully in other areas such as central Hove."

The existing parking scheme designates more than 90 per cent of Kemp Town parking bays as either residents only or parking for two or four hours.

The revised scheme includes a mixture of residents only parking, shared permit parking - both short-term and long-term, and exclusive pay and display parking of up to two hours.

Residents with low-emission vehicles, which give out lower levels of carbon dioxide, would get a 50 per cent discount on their annual permits.

Brighton and Hove Bus Company complained that people parking along Eastern Road often block buses.

In the revised scheme, drivers would no longer be able to park on the northern side of Eastern Road.

The environment committee will decide on Thursday whether to agree to the changes. If they do there will be a further 21-day consultation period and the revised scheme will be introduced in the autumn if accepted.