New research has revealed that UK councils have generated more than £360 million in revenue from residential parking schemes over the last five years.
The figures come from a Freedom of Information request by online used car retailer cinch, which contacted 218 UK local authorities. Of these, only 128 councils provided data, meaning the true amount is likely much higher.
The majority of the revenue comes from London borough councils. Nine of the top 10 councils with the highest earnings from these permits during this period were London boroughs. Brighton and Hove was the only council outside of the capital to place in the top 10. These local authorities generated more than £280 million from residential parking permits – almost two-thirds of the national total.
Wandsworth Borough Council reported the highest revenue from the permits, receiving £38.2 million from resident parking schemes over the five years.
However, Nottingham’s council has seen the biggest increase in revenue over recent years. The city’s council saw a 2,009% increase in yearly revenue from the permits between 2020 and 2024, by far the largest rise. Coventry and Aberdeenshire’s councils had the next biggest increases of 543% and 500%, respectively.
Sam Sheehan, cinch’s motoring editor, said: “The total revenue from residential parking permit revenue is eye-opening. With almost £360m raised by the 128 upper-tier local authorities that responded, the real total will be significantly higher.
“It’s interesting to see which councils have raised the most and how rapidly some are increasing charges year-on-year. For anyone budgeting the cost of motoring, permits are increasingly becoming a cost to factor in alongside fuel, insurance and maintenance.”
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