Britain's most expensive parking spots revealed – as they rake in more than £1BILLION a year | The Sun
BRITAIN'S most expensive parking spots have been revealed – as they rake in more than £1billion a year.
Councils across England have been accused of banking a shocking amount of cash from parking fees and car park rent last year.
Greedy councils forked out an all-time high £1.95billion in fees surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
The most expensive parking spots have been found in West London – including Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea.
Councils have scooped £41million profits after charging people up to £6 an hour to park there.
Furious drivers slammed local authorities for the extortionate prices and said they can't afford to drive or park their vehicles anymore.
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Charlie Neil, who lives in Kensington, claimed he is now forced to use public transport.
He told MailOnline: "When I park, 100 per cent the price has gone up.
"I live on the West Cromwell Road and I think it’s £5 an hour (the actual figure is £4.70).
"The prices have just gone to another level since Covid.
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"It doesn’t surprise me that everything is suffering at the moment, it’s just suicidal, businesses, theatres everything in the evening."
Coming second is Westminster borough – which charges motorists £5.80 per hour to park their vehicles.
Westminster City Council reportedly bagged £103million from parking charges last year – £282,191 a day and £196 a minute.
Of the total, a whopping £71.6million was profit.
Beyond the capital, Brighton & Hove is the most costly area to park your car – with drivers facing up to £5.10 an hour to park and councils raking in £45million along the way.
Also ranking high are Bournemouth and Nottingham charging visitors £3.30 and £2.60 an hour just to park in the street.
And council earn £23million in revenue each in the process.
Despite the eye-watering profits, fuming residents claimed they haven't seen improvements in their areas – with roads still to be repaired.
Cheryl Yeow, who lives in Marble Arch, said parking costs have gone up but believes profits have not been divided equally.
She said: "I think the parking on the metres is going too expensive, you’re not in central London so to then charge £5 an hour is too much.
"Kensington and Chelsea is a high percent residential area. You see rubbish in the streets, as local residents we have a problem with rubbish collection, the roads are similar, but the roads still need repairing.
"We don’t see any policing. I think the streets are dirtier."
However, the Local Government Association – which represents all councils – claimed profits are reinvested on improving transport services and facilities.
A spokesperson said: "Income raised through parking charges is spent on running parking services.
"Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £14 billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services.
"Motorists can avoid fines by ensuring they observe parking and traffic rules that are only there to help all drivers get around and find parking safely, smoothly and fairly."
It comes as a map revealed the most expensive places to get a residents' parking permit.
The affluent north London borough of Islington came out top, setting permit holders back £860 per year – to park on the street outside your own home.
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Elsewhere, furious residents said expensive parking is driving people away from a once thriving town centre.
Costly fees for motorists visiting the formerly bustling market town of Bishop Auckland in Durham are putting off visitors.
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