Town halls are set to pocket a record £1billion profit from parking fees over the next year.
Motorists face increases of up to 230 per cent from next month, an audit reveals today.
As well as charging more for town car parks, many councils are raising the cost of residential permits.
Town halls across the country are set to pocket a record £1billion profit from parking fees over the next year. They are also planning to raise the cost of residential permits (file picture)
Shoppers and churchgoers will be hit by the end of cheaper Sunday parking in some areas.
Hampshire, Nottingham, Reading, Cambridge, Brighton and Exeter are all planning big hikes.
Councillors insist higher fees are necessary because of major budget cuts from Whitehall. They also cite the need to tackle congestion and air pollution.
Families are already facing the second highest rise in council tax in a decade, with typical Band D rises of £76 from next month.
Councils expect to make a record surplus of £885million from parking fees in 2018-2019. And the RAC Foundation predict this will hit £1billion in 2019-2020.
Spokesman Steve Gooding said: ‘With sums this large in play, the question must be whether they are actually helping our town centres and high streets to thrive, or whether it feels more like motorists being targeted to help increasingly cash-strapped councils balance their books.’
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: ‘Drivers beware. April sees the start of new tactics for some councils going after more cash from drivers.
‘Some councils are already budgeting to make millions of pounds more from motorists, on top of the millions they already get, by increasing parking charges, extending restricted parking zones, enforcing new bus lanes and looking for new opportunities to catch drivers.’
Analysis by the
