The £4million Parking Fee

Joe Anderson’s budgetary woes have been spelled out - again - this week. And we’ve even been given the math. In its breakdown, we were interested to see a whopping £4million windfall from car parking and fines. Nice little earner.

Is it criminal that the council rakes in so much in parking fines? Maybe not. But it is, technically, illegal if it pours the cash from the meters directly into its general revenue pot.

That’s because councils aren’t allowed to make a profit from their parking revenue. It’s all supposed to be ploughed back into the potholes. Every last pound coin.

The RAC Foundation keeps tabs on stuff like this. Their latest stats put Liverpool in a midtable position - way behind Westminster’s staggering £40million profit. One road in Westminster earned an eye-watering £3.6 million last year.

Still, £4million. Not to be sniffed at.

The council has 1,600 on street parking bays, and a further 30 pay and display car parks.
“For many local authorities, parking charges are a nice little earner,” says Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation.

“It’s enshrined in law that profits gained from on street charges and penalties must be ploughed back into a very limited number of things including maintaining the roads,” he adds.

So, if Joe wants to run a legal budget, and abides by the local authority rules, looks like he’s got even less to spend. Still, our roads should be lovely.