Drivers were hit for £1.6billion in parking fees last year – delivering a record profit of £820million to councils.
As motorists endure the most congested roads on record, councils have been squeezing more money out of them for parking on their own streets and in town centres.
Profits from parking permits, fees and fines in 2016/17 jumped 10 per cent from the year before – when local authorities across England made £744million.
And last year’s profits were 40 per cent higher than the £587million made in 2012/13. The biggest increases have come from permits and street parking. A report last year found councils had increased the cost of permits by an average of 51 per cent since 2011.
Drivers were hit for £1.6billion in parking fees last year – delivering a record profit of £820million to councils (file photo)
Profit is the amount left over after council costs are deducted. Councils are legally obliged to plough parking profits back into transport infrastructure, improving roads and creating more parking spaces, for example.
But motoring campaigners complain that drivers are seeing little evidence of improvement – with record congestion, over-running roadworks, crumbling roads, and potholes. Councils were also criticised for imposing heavy-handed fees and fines.
Howard Cox, of campaign group FairFuelUK, said: ‘It beggars belief that local authorities each year are taking more parking fees from hard working drivers for so little in return.
These taxpayers are being treated as easy cash cows, who diligently support the local economy but see little evidence our pothole-ridden roads are improving.’
The biggest increases in parking profits have been in London, with a 66 per cent jump in the west London borough of Hounslow and a 53 per cent rise in Merton, south-west London.
Westminster had the largest total profit in England at £73.2million, up 31 per cent on the previous year.
Kensington and Chelsea came second with £32.2million, down 6 per cent on the previous year, with Camden, also in London, third.
Westminster had the largest total profit in England at £73.2million, up 31 per cent on the previous year
Outside the capital, profits rose by a fifth in Bristol and 13 per cent in Birmingham.
The biggest profits were reported by Brighton and Hove with £21.2million and Milton Keynes and Birmingham with £11.1million each.
Tory MP Sir Greg Knight last night accused some councils of using parking as a ‘revenue-raising exercise’ and described the rise in parking permit fees as a ‘stealth tax’.
Sir Greg, who is campaigning for tougher laws to crack down on private parking firms, said councils ‘need to reflect whether their charges are fair and reasonable’.
Tory MP Sir Greg Knight accused some councils of using parking as a ‘revenue-raising exercise’ and described the rise in parking permit fees as a ‘stealth tax’
He said: ‘In some cases higher charges may be driving more motorists to shun cities and towns and to go to out of town shopping centres where parking is plentiful and free.’
He also warned: ‘Councils should be particularly careful before increasing residents’ parking fees – because here motorists don’t have a choice where they park.
‘It could be argued this is a stealth tax on residents.’
The findings, from analysis for the RAC Foundation, come after it was revealed drivers were delayed by an average of 46 seconds for every mile last year in England.
Councils spent £763million on parking operations in 2016/17 but received £1.58billion from parking fees, up 6 per cent on the previous year and equating to a profit of £819million.
Although an increase of 790,000 cars on the roads last year has boosted profits, many councils have hiked parking charges after budget cuts.
Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman, said any profit is spent on ‘essential transport projects, such as tackling our national £12billion roads repair backlog and creating new parking spaces’.
He added: ‘Councils are on the side of motorists but have to try and strike a balance when setting parking charges to ensure there are spaces available for everyone at all times of the day.’