Profits up 10% year-on-year
English councils made a record £819 million from their parking operations in the last financial year.
The figure for 2016-17 is 10% higher than the £744 million made in the previous financial year.
It is 40% higher than the £587 million made in 2012-13.
And it is also £37 million above what councils themselves had forecast for 2016-17.
The findings come from analysis for the RAC Foundation by transport consultant David Leibling of the official returns that councils make annually to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
In 2016-17, the 353 local authorities in England had a total income from on- and off-street parking activities of £1.582 billion – up 6% year-on-year.
This comprised both parking charges (fees and permits) and penalty income.
At the same time, the councils spent £763 million on running their parking operations – up 2% year-on-year.
The difference between income and expenditure – £819 million – is the surplus or ‘profit’ available to be spent on transport locally.
