Councils in England brought in just over £1 billion in parking
fees and charges for the 2023/24 financial year, according to
analysis by The AA.
Data released in October by the Ministry of Housing, Communities
and Local Government, showed that on-street parking raised £698.7
million across English councils, while off-street parking raised
£340.4 million.
In comparison, the 2022/23 financial year saw local authorities
raise £962.3 million from parking, of which £673.1 million from
on-street parking and £289.2 million from off-street parking.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy, said; “Councils have broken
through the £1 billion income barrier, showing just how vital a
revenue stream it is for them.
“With budgets stretched, local authorities will pull any lever
available to bring cash into the Town Hall. The cost of parking,
as well as ease of payment, has an impact on consumers and they
will ‘vote with their wheels' if they deem the price too
expensive, or a hassle if they can only pay via an app or by
phone.
“Now that a quarter of all retail sales are being made online,
councils are seeing a drop in footfall to the High Street. In
their quest to fill the coffers, they may end up driving their
customers away.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
* https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d6ca835187a43f682ddd6b/RO2_2023-24_data_by_LA.ods
** Council Parking Income
Nearly A Billion | AA (theaa.com)
