Parking 'brings £594m surplus for English councils'

Computersaysno

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25489765


Councils are making record surpluses from parking charges and fines, according to the RAC Foundation.


In 2012-13 local authorities in England made a "profit" of £594m from parking activities, the organisation said.


Seven of the 10 greatest surpluses were in London - including all the top four. The largest was £39.7m in Westminster.


The foundation said the record revenue came as spending on roads fell but the Local Government Association said councils were on the side of motorists.


The figures were calculated by adding up income from parking charges and penalty notices and deducting running costs.


The combined "profit" of £594m was up 5% on the equivalent figure for 2011-12, which was £565m.


However, 52 of the 353 parking authorities across England reported a deficit.
'Not allowed'
The RAC Foundation, a motoring research charity, said budgets submitted to central government for the current financial year showed the surplus for 2013-14 was likely to be even higher


The only areas outside London to make the top 10 were Brighton and Hove, Nottingham and Manchester.


In September, the government announced plans to tackle authorities making a profit from parking. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said cameras used to catch people parking illegally could be banned and unnecessary yellow lines could be reviewed.


At the time he told the BBC: "What this is about is raking in pretty large sums of money to fill the councils' coffers.


"The law's pretty clear. It says you're not allowed to do that."


Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the foundation, said: "It is a case of deja vu. Once again English councils have made record amounts from parking.


"Yet overall spending on local roads has fallen by 9% over the past three years with road safety expenditure down by as much as 20%.


"The government's recent decision to consult on changes to parking rules and regulations is timely and we have always argued that at the very least all councils should publish an annual parking report to explain how much money is collected from drivers and, just as importantly, where that cash is going."
'Parking bullies'
But Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association, said many councils already did publish such reports "to be open and transparent with residents and combat the deep-rooted misconception that they are being used to raise money".


He also insisted councils did not make a profit from parking because surplus income was spent on projects such as road improvements and subsidised bus travel.


"This report further peddles the myth that councils are using parking charges to raise money," Mr Box said.


"The reality is that the average motorist is paying 30 times more to Whitehall in charges and taxation each year than they do to their town hall through parking."


However, the government again suggested councils were indeed using fines to generate income.


A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "Parking fines have become an unjust form of arbitrary taxation, corrupting Britain's justice system and fleecing innocent drivers.


"This government is taking action to rein in the town hall parking bullies."

Computersaysno

Top 10 council parking surpluses

• Westminster £39.7m
• Kensington and Chelsea £30.44m
• Camden £23.53m
• Hammersmith and Fulham £19.39m
• Brighton and Hove £16.25m
• Wandsworth £15.89m
• Lambeth £12m
• Nottingham £11.79m
• Manchester £8.78m
• Islington £8.21m
• Source: RAC Foundation. For year 2012-13.

peter_the_piper

Brighton is a strange one since they would be more than happy if they got £0.00 from cars as they had banned them altogether, in the mean tine fleece them for all they can get. Strange that NCP costs the same as council for parking.

prowla

Councils need to realise that they are killing the high street; every penny they take in parking is a penny taken away from the shops in the towns, and every time they fine someone for some petty transgression of a made-up law makes one person less likely to go there next time.

(Brighton tried to rip me off for parking - I've not been back since, and have no plans to.)

spacey2012

It is a self fuelling, self perpetuating jobs for the "boys and girls" scam.
They create huge departments, with executives starting on £200k a year down to lowly clerks, all on wages on the public can dream about.
The monster feeds itself and gets bigger and bigger every year, some employ as many as 1200 staff, all on wallet busting wages, well except those that write the tickets, they get a target to hit each day, up from 8 to 12 now or get the sack.
Very little if anything as some lose money gets back to the public purse.
They care not if they destroy town centres, businesses, restaurants, incomes of lowly paid, they just could not care less, all that matters is feeding the greedy monster.

They illegally issue thousands of tickets every week and despite knowing they are illegal, they carry on doing it, as some mugs just pay up.
They are without morals or feelings for victims they scam.

Allowing local councils to fine people was a huge mistake.
They are now starting on bus lanes, yellow boxes, restricted routes, one in York has even put camera's the main route in to York that every sat nav will take every driver down.
This can not be accidental, it has to be deliberate.

It is a monster of non gold plated salary jobs, one that is feeding off the general public like a parasite.

However unlike all other parasites, they know not to kill the host by taking too much.
These people will never stop, they will keep growing the monster until the public come for it with pitch forks and spill out the fowl disgusting guts of this corruption that has become civil enforcement on to the streets they were stupidly trusted to enforce upon.

fil_cad

Strange isnt it, its such a pity all councils dont put as much effort into other services as they do with parking, its the only topic there 100% on the ball with, milking the motorist to the bone, another point to raise, councils that have spoken about eric pickles on radio/ tv all seem to say he hasnt a clue what he is talking about? Looks like the scamming slobs may be getting slightly worried that there cash flow could be about to dry up soon.

spacey2012

Eric pickles, has to be the windbag of the century, he makes all sorts of promises, going to make them behave and do this that and the other and he never delivers anything.
Local councils are abusing the power and abusing the people they are supposed to serve and he, the one in charge is absolutely useless at making them even obey the laws, let alone show some decency.

nigelbb

prowla wrote: »

Councils need to realise that they are killing the high street; every penny they take in parking is a penny taken away from the shops in the towns, and every time they fine someone for some petty transgression of a made-up law makes one person less likely to go there next time.

Happily this flight from the High Street is counterbalanced by PPCs charging exorbitant fines for minor contraventions in out of town shopping parks.