Councillors have been branded hypocrites for keeping free town centre parking for themselves while increasing other charges by £1.2m.

All 48 elected members are entitled to free parking at the Guildhall for council duties, but while some cycle or use public transport, others have used it for shopping or dining.

An annual parking permit at the nearby Rose car park would have cost £2,592.

Last month, Liberal Democrats approved a budget increasing the cost of business permits by up to 300 per cent, residents’ parking by up to 50 per cent, and pay-and-display by 50 per cent. Conservatives abstained.

Vic Bellamy, who won 300 votes standing on an anti-waste platform in last year’s council election, said: “It’s hypocritical. If everyone else has to cut back, they should too.”

Ann Greenwood, of Boho Cafe in King’s Road, Kingston, voiced her fears about the increase in the cost of business permits in January.

She said: “It’s one rule for them and one for us. I think this is a really poor show from the council when we are all struggling.”

A draft council transport strategy under consideration stated car use reduction should be a council priority.

Shaun Chamberlain, co-founder of environmental group Transition Town Kingston, said free parking for councillors was subsidising car travel.

However, Councillor Derek Osbourne, leader of the council, said the issue was a “moot point” and was being looked at.

He said: “Bear in mind that councillors are in and out of the Guildhall two or three times a day with gaps in between and are doing it in order to do their jobs as councillors, by and large.

“They are on £7,500, and are the poorest paid councillors in London.

“I think you have to think of that when looking at how to encourage people to become councillors.”

At the time of going to press, the council could not say how many councillors currently used the free parking or how often.

A council spokesman said some councillors who were elected before changes were made in 2004 retained a pass enabling them to use the Rose and Bittoms car parks when the Guildhall was full.