London24NEWS

Council to ‘choose the pockets of drivers’ as they plan to rake in additional than £500MILLION in parking fines and charges over subsequent decade

A council has been accused of using motorists as a ‘money tree’ over plans to rake in more than £500million in parking fines and fees in the next decade.

At a recent budget meeting, officials at the London Borough of Islington noted that parking income had not recovered after the pandemic.

They were warned that unless this particular revenue stream ‘recovers’, the council faces ‘a challenge for future budgets’.

Meanwhile, a procurement document for the parking enforcement contract revealed that it espects annual revenue from drivers of £48.8million next year, rising to £61.9million after ten years – a total of £546million. 

This falls £10million a year short of the income it has been getting – suggesting it plans to raise fines or parking rates, which are already the most expensive in the country.

Asked how the predicted levels of income would be achieved, a spokesman for the council, which is planning new ‘liveable neighbourhood’ zones, referred to the ‘possibility of new schemes being introduced’ targeting drivers. 

They can already be hit with £130 parking tickets and penalties for entering ‘low-traffic’ zones.

A council has been accused of using motorists as a 'money tree' over plans to rake in more than £500million in parking fines and fees in the next decade. Steve Gooding director of the RAC Foundation (pictured) said parking policy should be for 'managing traffic, not a soft target for bolstering budgets'

 A council has been accused of using motorists as a ‘money tree’ over plans to rake in more than £500million in parking fines and fees in the next decade. Steve Gooding director of the RAC Foundation (pictured) said parking policy should be for ‘managing traffic, not a soft target for bolstering budgets’

At a recent budget meeting, officials at the London Borough of Islington noted that parking income had not recovered after the pandemic. They were warned that unless this particular revenue stream ‘recovers’, the council faces ‘a challenge for future budgets’

The council has earmarked £132million for a contractor to operate traffic cameras and parking schemes. After recouping these costs from drivers, the council’s forecast means a ‘profit’ for the council of about £414million.

Islington says it has strict controls that mean ‘this money can only be spent on improving transport and environmental services’.

But Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said parking policy should be for ‘managing traffic, not a soft target for bolstering budgets’.

Hugh Bladon, of the Alliance of British Drivers, said: ‘It’s appalling, a shocking business. 

It’s being ramped up all the time, as they think of new ways of picking the pockets of motorists. It is grossly out of all proportion to treat motorists as a sort of money tree, and it’s time somebody stopped it.’

Last year Islington was named in a report as issuing more fines than any other local authority, with a daily average of 1,012.

The council said: ‘Parking revenue funds important schemes and services, to help reduce emissions, encourage greener travel, and cut congestion.’