UK Councils Lose £41.3M (71%) in Parking Fine Income During Lockdown

The COVID-19 various restrictions, that at one point included a full lockdown, is something we have all been dealing with this past year. 

It without a doubt affected different aspects of our lives including our jobs and our income. It has also had an impact on the larger picture, leaving its mark on the state of the local economy, as well as the global one.

In a situation as serious as this one, it is important to focus on any positive sides we can think of. 

One of those silver linings is – since we can barely leave the house, that means fewer opportunities for expenses, and also for parking fines.

However, it might not be such a good thing for UK councils that missed out on a lot of money solely in parking fines. Comparing this year’s data with those of the same period last year showed some interesting results.

Largest Cities

Let’s look at some numbers gathered from 20 of the largest UK cities.

source: www.leasefetcher.co.uk

In the period between April and June 2019, the councils made £58,162,078.72, while in the same months of 2020 that number plummeted down to £16,845,599.63. 

This means that in a year alone, these councils lost a total of £41,316,479.09 (a 71% loss).

During the lockdown, councils relied mostly on the income from notices issued the previous months which showed an 82.5% decrease in comparison to last year.

When it comes to individual cities, Leicester was affected the most with a 99.21% loss, while Birmingham was affected the least, losing 68.1% of income.

In actual monetary value, Glasgow lost the most with a £1,209,791.71 decrease, and Rotherham with a £65,151 deficit, lost the least.

All and all, this year shows an unprecedented council PCN deficit.

What Does That Mean For PCN Income?

The parking fines seem to be here to stay. In other words,  the PCN income took a fall during the coronavirus epidemic, but that doesn’t signal its end.

That also means that the councils will try to make up for the loss of income by coming back with full force.

So, keep that in mind every time you park, especially once the restrictions ease even further.

Methodology Used

In order to make things as clear as possible, let’s mention the methodology used in this process.

It is actually rather simple.

The total income from PCNs in larger cities was obtained by using Freedom of Information requests. That gathered data, including on and off-street parking, was then broken down by month from January 2019 to June 2020. 

But, the list of areas isn’t complete. The data for certain cities such as the City of London,  Manchester, Nottingham, Liverpool, Barnet, Bexley, Sunderland, Lewisham, and Croydon wasn’t available.