Council staff in Wolverhampton should lose their subsidised parking to help fund a reduction in fees for the paying public, according to an influential group of business leaders.

Wolverhampton Business Group claims the subsidy that lets council staff use public car parks at a vastly reduced rate is unfair on shoppers.

It wants parking fees reduced to 50p an hour on city centre car parks and 20p for an hour on School Street and the markets.

Members are also calling for a 50p rate for 40 minutes on street parking instead of 20 minutes.

It comes as the group, which was set up to lobby the city council for pro business policies and changes to planning red tape, prepares for a question and answer session at Molineux at 5.30pm on April 26.

Businesses can register by sending an email to wolves business@carvers.co.uk

Hundreds of council staff have already lost their free parking as the authority tries to save £240,000 this year. But staff who were entitled to park for free are getting a big discount.

Staff earning less than £25,000 a year will pay between 80p and £1.50 a day, while for those on more it is between £1.20 and £2.

The prices are being introduced based on how busy each car park is, with the Civic Centre attracting the biggest fee and Oxford Street on the outskirts charging the lowest rate.

Meanwhile an hour’s parking for the public at Fold Street has been reduced from 80p to 60p and night time charges have been reduced from £2.50 to £2.

But Henry Carver, chairman of Wolverhampton Business Group, said the night time charges should be scrapped along with council staff subsidies.Their policy document says: “It is not good for businesses that council employees are being subsidised in the city car parks by more than 80 per cent in the city centre.”

The council say the free parking was scrapped because of the “large demand” for parking for visitors and businesses.