GUEST house owners are considering their future claiming a new parking permit system will hit their businesses.

The controversial system will come into force on Monday, May 21.

Alan Martin, who has been running the six-bedroom Trinity Hotel for six years, has recently put his Trinity Avenue house onto the market.

“We were all initially in favour of permit parking because it was always difficult for guests to park here,” he said.

“But under the new rules, we will get a maximum of five books of parking tickets for £5, which gives us 100 visitor permits.

“That’s ok for residents, but it’s no good for hotels. The council tell us that hotel guest permits will be made available for £5 per time, but this would make us uncompetitive.”

He added the competition from AirBnB was causing problems.

Trinity Hotel, which has been operating since the 1960s, said bookings are down 40 per cent.

He said: “We are consequently struggling to survive. The parking charge will greatly exacerbate this situation - potentially it is the final straw.”

Bertie Makolli, whose family has run the Ilfracombe House Hotel on Wilson Road for the last 25 years, is also objecting to the council’s plans.

He said: “We have a very small car park at the back and we are not able to accommodate all the guests.

“Sometimes contractors have two or three vans. Even residents living in the area aren’t guaranteed spaces, because anyone can get permits. Some of our staff come in cars every day – what’s going to happen to them? It’s making us think seriously about our future.”

Georgina Cetnik, 72, who has run the Pavilion Hotel on Trinity Avenue for the last 34 years, disagreed.

She said: “Previously the road was chock-a-block, and we couldn’t park anywhere. Now, there are plenty of spaces. I think £5 per guest is not unreasonable.

“More and more of our guests are arriving by train.

“Many of our guests go to the nearby Westcliff Pavillion for a show – if they can afford to pay £50 for theatre tickets, then another £5 won’t hurt.”

She is planning to retire in a couple of years.

A spokesman for Southend Council explained all the issues raised were considered during the consultation into the Cliffs Pavillion permit scheme in July before the decision to proceed was made in September.

He added: “Hotels have the option to buy vouchers for their guests and we have tried to set these in a fair and consistent way. We calculate the number of hotel permits by looking at the number of rooms, minus any permits issued to residents of the property, minus any private parking spaces provided.”