Some councils raise hundreds of thousands of pounds a year from residents’ parking schemes, with one London Borough receiving nearly £3m, according to the RAC.
The motoring organisation said that although most motorists ‘wrongly believe the fees are simply another form of general local taxation,’ there is very little opposition to residents’ parking zones, with only 17% of motorists polled opposing them.
The RAC said Freedom of Information requests revealed that councils raise sums ranging from a few thousand pounds a year to nearly £3m – in the case of the Lambeth Council – from residents’ parking schemes.
It said other councils have also seen large increases in revenue in the last four years, citing the example of Haringey, which saw a 90% rise from just over £1m to nearly £2m, having nearly doubled the number of schemes from 15 to 29.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘Parking is one of the most emotive motoring subjects, and residents’ parking is probably the most polarising subject of all depending, of course, on where you live.
‘Residents without such schemes are often angered when they can’t park near their homes due to the influx of commuters, shoppers and leisure visitors, but many are also annoyed that they have to pay the council for the privilege of being able to park close to their own house or flat.’
The RAC polled 1,765 motorists and found that 48% were in favour of residents’ parking schemes, with 17% opposed and 35% not having an opinion either way.
But it claimed a ‘parking paradox’, in that 61% of motorists ‘believe they just shift the problem to another area’.
The RAC said its research also revealed ‘a very common misapprehension’ around how councils use revenue from issuing of resident permits, with 77% believing it was ‘simply another form of general local taxation and that little of the revenue is reinvested in road maintenance and development’.
It cited a 2013 High Court judgement, in which another London council – Barnet – had been found to be illegally using such charges for revenue raising.
At the time, solicitor David Attfield, a resident who had led the opposition to increased charges, said it would be difficult to prove other councils were breaking the law.
Transport Network approached Lambeth Council for comment.
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