Councils' Revenue From Parking Reaches Â£667m

Councils' Revenue From Parking Reaches £667m

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The amount of profit being raised by local councils from parking charges rose by more than 12% last year.

An RAC Foundation survey found that in 2013/14, councils in England made a combined "profit" of £667m from their on and off-street parking operations.

The previous year they made £594m from fines, permits and tickets.

Around £293m of the amount raised in 2013/14, or 44%, was generated by councils in London, the study found.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "Parking profits seem to be a one-way street for councils, having risen annually for the last five years.

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Gallery: All The Fun Of The Fare

The scourge of the inner city motorist, the parking meter is more than 50 years old. These tireless guardians of British kerbs have been used since 1958, when they were introduced to the streets of Mayfair.

Arthur Longley of Wimbledon, tested the new parking meters at the New Malden Factory shortly before the scheme was introduced in London.

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The meter came to the UK more than two decades after its invention by US newspaper editor Carlton Magee in 1935. Three years later, this lady was celebrating with a nickel for an hour's parking at White Plains, New York.

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In August 1957, one Mr Bruce put money in a London parking meter near Marble Arch under the not-so-watchful gaze of an attendant named Mr Stapeley.

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This camel put up with the deserts of Africa and crazy European drivers - but what gave it the hump were the parking restrictions in Belgravia, central London. The camel was taking part in a publicity stunt to promote a Royal Gala Charity evening in 1976.

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"Yet over the same period spending on local roads has fallen about a fifth in real terms.

"We understand the pressures councils are under with their overall income still falling and the level of services they have to provide in such areas as social care rising rapidly."

"The bottom line is that parking policy and charges must be about managing traffic not raising revenue."

The RAC found that very few councils were losing money on parking operations, with just 16% of the 353 parking authorities in England reporting negative numbers for 2013/14.

The figures were calculated by adding up the amount each council earned from parking charges and penalty notices, then deducting running costs.

The foundation said that while some of the increase in profits was down to a rise in the amount the councils were able to recoup, there was also evidence that many councils were cutting operating costs sharply.

The authority with the largest surplus in 2013/14 was previous table-topper Westminster with £51m.

The five biggest "earners" were all London authorities, with only Brighton and Hove and Nottingham breaking into a top 10 dominated by councils in the capital.

These were the councils with the biggest surplus in 2013/14 before capital charges.

LOCAL AUTHORITY SURPLUS

1. Westminster £51.0m

2. Kensington & Chelsea £33.5m

3. Camden £24.9m

4. Hammersmith & Fulham £23.0m

5. Wandsworth £19.7m

6. Brighton & Hove £18.1m

7. Nottingham City £12.1m

8. Islington £10.4m

9. Tower Hamlets £8.32m

10. Brent £8.13m

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