UK councils are collecting record sums of money from motorists, with some of the most insulting councils earning 75 percent of their council taxes from sky-high parking fees.
According to the latest figures compiled by the AA, total local government revenues across the UK from parking activities in fiscal year 2019/2020 were nearly £ 1.8 billion. Once the operating costs go away, it means that communities across the country have benefited from nearly £ 900 million, compared to the £ 31 billion they took in community taxes.
That means total parking profits account for less than six percent of council tax revenue, but in large cities the parking fee has been labeled “staggering” by the AA.
London boroughs top the table in parking winnings, with Westminster topping the charge for top-ups. It deposited more than £ 69 million in parking fees and fines during the period, while Kensington & Chelsea pocketed nearly £ 39 million. Outside the capital, Brighton and Hove grossed over £ 36 million, while Birmingham, Nottingham and Bournemouth grossed over £ 20 million each.
So extreme are the amounts of money raised by drivers that AA President Edmund King is calling the situation a new breed of “car addiction”. He told the Daily Mail that “the money devoured by parking fees, permits and fines in the authorities can be staggering,” and “drivers see the great irony of being asked to use their car less when many councils don’t get enough of them driving. “Drive into town, park and pay millions in fees”.
UK Community Income: Parking vs. Council Tax
The AA compared the parking revenues of a number of municipalities to their council tax revenues and made a table of their parking revenues as a percentage of the council tax.
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