Parking costs are set to rise by up to 60%

This month, local councils are increasing parking charges by up to 60% as they face  debts and limits on the amount they can raise council tax.

How much do councils make off parking?

Figures from the Department for Levelling Up show that drivers have paid out almost £2 billion altogether in car parking spaces run by councils in the last year.

 £1.93 billion were paid in fees and fines in the year to April 2023, which is up from £1.76 billion the previous year.

Some of the areas parking charges are rising include East Grinstead West Sussex, where fees will rise by as much as 30% and 29% in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

In Kirklees, the West Yorkshire authority for Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Dewsbury, parking fees are increasing this month by 60%. Harrogate in North Yorkshire will see their parking fees rise by 20% on April 19.

But the area of Harrogate is using a new system to monitor prices avoid shoppers choosing to park elsewhere, harming the local economy.

Dan Hubert, chief executive of AppyWay, which has created the new system, said: 'High streets have been dwindling and cars and parking have been treated as a cash cow. In some cases, cities pay more for enforcement than they collect.’

Elsewhere, the new National Parking Platform, which is set to be used this month by some local authorities will also provide real-time information on the use of parking spaces.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: 'Income raised through parking charges is spent on running parking services. Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £16 billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services.

'Motorists can avoid fines by ensuring they observe parking and traffic rules that are only there to help all drivers get around and find parking safely, smoothly and fairly.'