90% of councils to hike parking fees

COUNCIL chiefs intend to put up parking charges to plug what they claim is a hole in their finances, it emerged yesterday.

They also warned of major increases in fees for everything from care for the elderly and disabled to taking away garden rubbish.

It comes as the vast majority of local authorities prepare to raise their council tax by the maximum amount allowed by the Treasury.

Parking, both outside homes and in car parks, makes English councils £700million a year more than they need to run the service, according to the RAC Foundation.

They are required by law to plough this money back into transport and environmental projects. But a survey from the Local Government Information Unit think-tank found councils want even more.

Carried out among 156 authorities, the report said nine out of ten intend to raise parking and other charges.

Almost as many say they will push up council tax from the beginning of April.

Under rules introduced after 2010, councils can raise the tax by up to 2 per cent before they have to win approval in a local referendum. All those councils with adult social care departments will take advantage of an extra 2 per cent to add to their council tax bills this year, the survey said.

It means the average £1,484 Band D council tax bill in those authorities would increase by just under £60.

The report also reveals charges for rubbish collections, pest control planning advice could rise.

A spokesman for the Communities Department said: ‘Councils will have almost £200billion to spend on local services, including a £3.5billion social care package, over the lifetime of this Parliament.’