Councilnet£630,000 inparkingfee‘profits’
That’s the “profit” south Lanarkshire Council have made from parking fees over last year
South Lanarkshire Council racked up parking ‘profits’ of £630,000 last year.
South Lanarkshire brought in £2.46 million in parking income for the year, an eight per cent increase on the 2014-15 total of £2.28 million.
This equated to a £630,000 surplus — or profit.
South Lanarkshire Council racked up parking ‘profits’ of £630,000 last year.
The figure was revealed by the RAC Foundation, with data showing local authorities in Scotland made a collective £40.3million from their parking activities in 2015-16.
South Lanarkshire brought in £2.46million in parking income for the year, an eight per cent increase on the 2014-15 total of £2.28million.
This equated to a £630,000 surplus — or profit — last year, compared to £610,000 the year before.
In addition, around 23,500 parking charge notices were issued throughout the area, bringing in £750,000.
The authority pointed out that while its parking income has risen, so too as the expenditure, and insisted that it continues to invest in its transport network.
Gordon Mackay, Head of Roads and Transportation at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “We have reviewed the RAC figures and note that parking income has risen by around eight per cent between 2014/15 and 2015/16.
“However, it should also be noted that expenditure over this same period has risen by 10 per cent.
“The council continues to review and invest in our transport network to meet the changing demands of our residents and communities.”
By comparison, Edinburgh and Glasgow topped the table with parking profits of £19.4million and £12.6million respectively. North Lanarkshire, along with East Lothian, did not submit figures.
The RAC report stated: “North Lanarkshire has parking enforcement but has delegated the financial management to South Lanarkshire. In 2013, North Lanarkshire estimated this would cost it around £25,000 a year.”
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Providing and managing the space for us to park our cars is not a costfree activity for councils, but controlling those costs is clearly important.
“By keeping the bills down and seeing a rise in parking income there has been a significant increase in the annual surplus, or profit, councils are making from parking activities.
“The good news is that this money must be re-invested in transport services including, Scottish drivers will expect, maintaining the road network.
“Amongst the numbers in our report, Scottish motorists will note that a fifth of parking income comes from the near half a million penalty charge notices issued.”