Tonight (Wednesday, May 14) Havant Borough Council's executive is discussing plans to slash the maximum time allowed in South Street car park to just four hours between Mondays and Saturdays.

The idea has angered traders who use the car park on a daily basis as they would have to find somewhere else to park after their four hours are up.

Matt Hazle, of South Street estate agents Hazle and Co, said: "It is just so frustrating for us. The idea is ludicrous."

Mr Hazle said parking in the Bridge Road car park would lose him too much time between walking there and back from his office as he makes multiple trips out during the day.

He said: "The best thing we will be able to do is park out on the street for 45 minutes, then go to the car park for four hours and then go out to somewhere off the Havant Road because there are no side streets around here.

"It will be a complete pain and I do not see the sense of it at all."

In addition, new charges are on the table for Sundays and bank holidays between March and October, with a charge of 50p for up to four hours, and £1 over four hours.

Emsworth Slipper Sailing Club commodore Julian Murch said it would restrict club members and the public's use of the harbour drastically.

He said: "It would cause a lot of angst. People would have to go to the nearest car park which is in Bridge Road, and the big problem with that is, it's about a mile away.

"A lot of the activities we do involve people being around for more than four hours."

Carli Strugnell, of Citrus Flowers, carries all her flowers in to the shop in the morning from the South Street car park, but if the plan goes ahead, she would be forced to park elsewhere.

"I park in there everyday," she said. "All the people who work here park there – it will be a problem. There is the parking in Bridge Road, but that is full up by 9am. It is going to be a nightmare trying to find a space."

The council had posted notices in the car park inviting comments on the plan, but only one objection was received.

The objector raised concerns about where traders will park if they cannot park there all day, to which the council pointed out the ample provision of spaces in the Palmers Road and Bridge Road car parks.

In a reply to the objection in the agenda for the meeting, the council said: "It is considered the provision of ample short-stay parking in the town centre for shoppers is vital to the economic viability of the area."

The report on the plan said the changeover could be implemented by the end of June.