Council defends its £520k profits from car parking in single year
though in 2015/16, the council were £78,000 in deficit.
Nationally, councils made a combined profit of £891million from parking in 2019/20 – down five per cent from £934million a year earlier.
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “Parking management is quite a money spinnerforsomelocalauthorities.
“The surplus for 2019-20 is down a little on the year before which may in part reflect the impact of the first Covid lockdown which saw traffic levels plummet at the end of last March.
“Going forward there are likely to be many councils who areactuallylookingtocutparking charges as a way of encouragingmorepeopletovisittheir high streets which are fighting for survival.”
The analysis, based on data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government,
reveals the vast majority of the 338 councils who returned figures reported a surplus on their parking operations.
Councillor Rebecca Atkinson,SunderlandCityCouncil’s
cabinet member for dynamic city, said: “The council is not making a profit from car parking charges, it is running a surplus.
"This allows us to reinvest in local traffic management schemes as well as parking facilities, which is exactly what has been done.
“Examples include refurbishment works at St Mary’s car park, upgrading pay and display machines, implementing Community Parking ManagementSchemesandextending the council’s previous free after three parking offer to free after three five days a week, Monday to Friday.
"The council has also introduced daily rates in some car parks, offering more choice and flexibility to our customers.”