'Cash cow' motorists slam most expensive council car parks in Britain

The most expensive council car parks in Britain: The local authorities milking the most from ‘cash cow’ drivers – with Manchester motorists paying £5-a-hour to leave their vehicles in the city

• Motorists have become ‘cash cows’ for councils looking to cash in on car parks
• One particular car parking facility in Manchester City charges £5.70 per hour 
• Recently, MailOnline revealed the most fined streets for parking in the UK

Motorists have become ‘cash cows’ for councils, campaigners warned as a Mail audit revealed the exorbitant cost of some of England’s local authority car parks.

Our study also revealed a dramatic variation in prices between councils, with some authorities charging motorists more than three times the rate of others.

Analysis of a dozen cities and large towns in England found the most expensive parking was at Manchester City Council’s King Street West facility.

The multi-storey car park in the Spinningfields district charges patrons £5.70 per hour and requires motorists to fork out a staggering £32.50 for a 24-hour stay. Annual permits can set you back an eye-watering £1,810.

Our study also revealed a dramatic variation in prices between councils, with some authorities charging motorists more than three times the rate of others

Analysis of a dozen cities and large towns in England found the most expensive parking was at Manchester City Council’s King Street West facility

While some private operators offer discounted prices, they can still charge car owners up to £19.75 to leave their vehicles at their premises for just four hours.

And while less secure street spots in the dense city centre go for £3 per hour, motorists have warned of the ‘vicious wardens’ who patrol the area.

Dad-of-one Simon Davis, 55, who left his vehicle in Manchester City Council Bridge Street car park, charging £4.50 for one hour, said he was put off by the high prices.

But he felt ‘forced’ to drive into the city as train fares for his family were equally exorbitant.

The scientist said: ‘I’ve been parking in this spot for about 30 years. The parking is not very good. They cram the cars in.

Dad-of-one Simon Davis (left), 55, who left his vehicle in Manchester City Council Bridge Street car park, charging £4.50 for one hour, said he was put off by the high prices. And Jonah Guttentag (right), 38, who had driven in for a meeting with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham today, said the price of council parking was ‘absolutely ridiculous’

Bridge Street carpark in Manchester charges £4.50 for one hour

‘I only come when I absolutely have to, and I come in from Crewe. But the train for the family is about £30. So I’m almost forced to drive. I spent around £9 today.

‘The other day, I went by train with my child and wife, and we went for lunch and drinks and we spent £140 altogether. We could have gone to Spain for that.

He added: ‘The parking wardens do fine a lot of people, but that stops them parking in stupid spaces.’

Jonah Guttentag, 38, who had driven in for a meeting with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham today, said the price of council parking was ‘absolutely ridiculous’.

The local father-of-four said: ‘I’m parking here for two hours and it’s absolutely ridiculous. It has cost me £6.80. I don’t know who is doing this or who is making the money.

Forklift truck driver Trevor Wilson, 34, who’d come to Manchester for a day out with his wife and baby, said he expected to pay £10 to park in the centre of the city, while Tilly Shepherd, 23, who works as plane cabin crew, was also shocked at the price of the parking in the centre of Manchester after only having to pay 80p per hour in nearby Nantwich, Cheshire

Carer Lydia Gyamfi (pictured), who comes into Manchester every Thursday for work, said she wasn’t happy at having to pay over £40 a month for parking 

Motorists said the prices are particularly disappointing because there are potholes in the car park

‘But it definitely prevents people from coming into the city. They’re just trying to make it more and more difficult. It’s a tax on motorists.

‘I couldn’t park anywhere. I was just going round and round in a circle. The traffic is worse in Manchester than in London. I’m not making it up but they’re doing it because they can.’

Forklift truck driver Trevor Wilson, 34, who’d come to Manchester for a day out with his wife and baby, said he expected to pay £10 to park in the centre of the city.

And the local dad said he had got ‘loads’ of tickets from ‘vicious wardens’ who in the past had left him feeling intimidated.

He said: ‘I’m going to spend about £10. It’s rubbish. It’s a lot but I do come into Manchester regularly, and I’m not really put off. You’ve just got to stump up.

Parking wardens have been described as ‘vicious’ in Manchester

The multi-storey car park in the Spinningfields district charges patrons £5.70 per hour and requires motorists to fork out a staggering £32.50 for a 24-hour stay. Annual permits can set you back an eye-watering £1,810

‘I’ve got loads of tickets. The wardens are vicious. I was in Manchester recently, getting the baby out of the car, and there was a warden staring at us. It was just because I was getting out of the car.

Trevor also slated the state of Bridge Street car park, where he’d parked for the day, saying he worried that motorists might lose a tyre in its deep potholes.

He added: ‘It should be a lot better. It doesn’t seem right. What happens if you come out and get a flat tyre?’

Carer Lydia Gyamfi, who comes into Manchester every Thursday for work, said she wasn’t happy at having to pay over £40 a month for parking.

The mum-of-four said: ‘Today, I paid £9.50 for three hours. It’s very, very expensive. I come in every Thursday as I work nearby. So it’s around £40 a month.

‘I got a ticket here before. Last time, the ticket machine wasn’t working, and I put the card in but it didn’t give a receipt. I think I had to pay £35 for the fine.

And while less secure street spots in the dense city centre go for £3 per hour, motorists have warned of the ‘vicious wardens’ who patrol the area

Trevor also slated the state of Bridge Street car park, where he’d parked for the day, saying he worried that motorists might lose a tyre in its deep potholes

‘But for me, I don’t have a choice, I have to come to work. I come here and drop the kids and there’s no time. So I often bring a car into the city as it’s easier for me.

Tilly Shepherd, 23, who works as plane cabin crew, was also shocked at the price of the parking in the centre of Manchester after only having to pay 80p per hour in nearby Nantwich, Cheshire.

She had come into the city centre from the town, which is about 45 miles away, with her mum, dad and sister, and expected to spend more than £10 on their parking ticket.

She said: ‘It’s very expensive. It’s only 80p in Nantwich. And the potholes here are dangerous. It’s a lot to pay, particularly when it looks like they’re not maintaining it.

‘We usually come to Manchester by train but as there were four of us we decided to come by car and park here for a few hours. But we did really struggle to find space.’

The city council has removed dozens of on-street parking spaces and increased hourly rates in the centre of Brighton to discourage people from driving

The city council has removed dozens of on-street parking spaces and increased hourly rates in the centre of Brighton to discourage people from driving 

In Brighton and Hove, on-street parking can cost as much as £4.90-an-hour before booking fees

Meanwhile Cheltenham Borough Council’s open air street-level carpark at Bath Parade only set motorists back £1.70 per hour, charging just £12 for a stay in excess of six hours.

Elsewhere, Newcastle City offers all-day free parking at some of its facilities, while Reading Borough Council also allows motorists to use some of their car parks without charge for up to two hours.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Residents are fed up with being treated like cash cows by their councils.

‘Car parks can be a lucrative source of income, but charging motorists large sums does not seem to have stopped local authorities from whacking up council tax anyway.

‘Bosses must look at the bigger picture and think about how these charges impact local residents and struggling shops.’

The analysis by MailOnline was based on figures provided by individual councils on their websites, and did not include private car parks.

Roofing company boss Sam Butcher said the parking permits needed for each van are prohibitively expensive and the council makes it tough for people to make sensible choices

As a seaside destination, tourists and visitors are caught paying the highest prices. Parking can add another £30 on to a night out in Brighton

After Manchester, the most expensive hour-long stays were in the City of London and Brighton, with motorists charged up to £4.50.

In Brighton and Hove, on-street parking can cost as much as £4.90-an-hour before booking fees.

The city council has removed dozens of on-street parking spaces and increased hourly rates in the centre of Brighton to discourage people from driving.

Hotels offer discounts on parking in some of the most expensive car parks to incentivise guests, while locals say they tend to avoid the pricey car parks.

As a seaside destination, tourists and visitors are caught paying the highest prices. Parking can add another £30 on to a night out in Brighton.

Plumber Ali Dastjerdi, 40, said he moved from London to Brighton and parking is much tougher by the sea

In Brighton and Hove, on-street parking can cost as much as £4.90-an-hour before booking fees

Mum-of-two, Jane Shergold said: ‘I have to drive into Brighton sometimes and I would always try to avoid using the really expensive car parks.

‘Sometimes, you really need the convenience of parking near to where you need to be and there’s generally a premium for that… Train strikes and roadworks haven’t helped.’ 

Plumber Ali Dastjerdi, 40, said he moved from London to Brighton and parking is much tougher by the sea.

‘My traders parking permit is £1300 a year.

‘It’s cheaper to take the parking ticket that get a permit for every van because they are so expensive.

‘I’ve been in Brighton for 12 years and parking her is much worse than in London.’

A Brighton and Hove City Council traffic warden said he writes eight tickets in an average shift.

That number can double when the city is busy in peak summer holiday season, and there are several wardens in the area.

A Brighton and Hove City Council traffic warden said he writes eight tickets in an average shift

Roofing company boss Sam Butcher said the parking permits needed for each van are prohibitively expensive and the council makes it tough for people to make sensible choices.

‘I can park on one street and get a ticket and I can put a van on a double yellow round the corner and be fine.

‘You have to treat everybody like they’re an idiot. The rules make it impossible to make any sense out of the traffic wardens.’

It’s not doom and gloom everywhere, though. After Cheltenham, the areas with the cheapest ‘top rate’ for one-hour were Leeds and Milton Keynes, where drivers are charged £2, our audit found. 

Motorists will pay up to £4.50 per hour at the Regency Square car park in Hove

Motorists will pay up to £4.50 per hour at the Regency Square car park in Hove

Leeds also offered a rate of 40p for an hour at its out-of-town Otley facilities, while the ‘standard tariff’ for an hour at several Milton Keynes car parks was 50p per hour.

Jane Gratton, head of people policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘Our towns and city centres play a crucial role in local economies, providing access to key services, shops, leisure facilities and education.

‘It’s vital that people can get into them as easily as possible.

‘Alongside greater investment in bus services and walking and cycling routes, the convenience of safe, flexible, and affordable high-quality parking facilities is an essential part of the mix.’

It comes as latest figures from Churchill Motor Insurance suggest UK councils issued an average of nearly 20,000 parking fines – worth an estimated £777,287 – each day last year.

Britain’s most-fined streets are bringing in excess of a whopping £10 million worth of fines each year for money-hungry councils

Harrison Woods, chief executive of online parking portal YourParkingSpace, said the data suggested councils were trying to plug holes in dwindling budgets through parking prices.

He said: ‘With many high streets in a precarious position, which is only compounded by the current cost of living crisis, there is an opportunity for councils to take meaningful steps to help local businesses and retailers thrive.

READ MORE: Life on UK’s worst road for parking tickets where drivers were hit with 32,000 fines totalling £2.26m over two years 

‘Raising parking charges is a blunt tool that often has a negative effect on the local economy.’

Dave Smith, from the British Parking Association, said councils set their charges according to the needs of residents and the cost of running the facility.

He said: ‘Typically, this means that in major city centres, like Manchester and Birmingham, they will be higher than those in smaller market towns and rural communities. Like most commodities, supply and demand will be reflected in the price charged.

‘Parking on private land is usually offered free of charge, typically for people using associated services such as supermarkets and retail parks. Free car parks in town centres are usually subsidised by local council taxpayers or business ratepayers.’

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, said car parking provision was vital to help keep traffic moving in towns and cities.

He said: ‘With an increase of millions of vehicles on the road since the turn of the century this has become increasingly challenging for councils.

‘Ultimately, it is for each council to determine charges on their car parks, reflecting local circumstances, such as demand, traffic management and parking policies as well as availability of alternative modes of travel.’

Manchester City Council, Newcastle and Leeds were approached for comment.

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