Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Millions of pounds profit made from council car parks
Canterbury City Council has made millions of pounds of profit through parking in the past year – more than any other local authority in Kent.
New figures released by the RAC Foundation reveal the council had a surplus of £4.9m in 2016/17, up from £4.4m last year.
The money is made from the district’s car parks, park and ride and off-street parking permits.
But council spokesman Leo Whitlock defended the high figure, saying the income generated from off-street parking is used to pay for vital council services and helps keep increases in council tax to a minimum.
He said: “The recent rise in parking fees will be used to help pay for the introduction of ANPR to our car parks and all of the benefits that brings. On top of that it will also help to pay for the improvements to Orange Street, Best Lane and The Friars in Canterbury, as well as the construction of the new Station Road West multi-storey car park and changes to park and ride in Wincheap.
“The money raised from onstreet parking is ring-fenced and should only be spent on transport-related projects or activities.”
Other authorities reported significantly lower profits, with Dartford making none at all. Shepway and Thanet also made a lower surplus, at £619,000 and £713,000 respectively.
Tunbridge Wells was the next highest after Canterbury, bringing in £3.2m. Mr Whitlock says the district’s 41 car parks are always well-used. “People want to come to the area because it is a great place to work, a fantastic place to shop and brilliant place to visit whether you head for the city or the coast,” he said.
“The council’s parking policy is a key part of its overall transport strategy because availability, cost and location all influence how people travel.
“We all know the city suffers from peak-hour traffic congestion so we use our parking tariffs to encourage people to use park and ride which removes the hassle of sitting in queues, to walk, to cycle and to use public transport.”