Local authorities across the UK have been shown to be building a considerable surplus in funding from their parking operations over recent months.

According to figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government and collated by the RAC Foundation, local authorities up and down the country have built a considerable excess of funding in this area in the last year, demonstrating a five per cent increase on 2011-12 to £594 million in the last 12 months.

Out of the top authorities across the country that have built the largest surpluses from their parking operations – the amount raised through parking charges and penalty fines, with running costs for services then removed – seven were shown to be in London.

The top four were Westminster (£39.7 million), Kensington & Chelsea (£30.4 million), Camden (£23.5 million) and Hammersmith & Fulham (£19.3 million). Outside of the capital, Brighton & Hove Council came in fifth with a surplus of £16.2 million, followed by Nottingham (£11.7 million) and Manchester (£8.7 million).

Making up the remainder of the top ten councils were Wandsworth (£15.8 million), Lambeth (£12 million) and Islington (£8.2 million).

Overall, just 52 of the UK's 352 local authorities (15 per cent) reported a negative figure for the costs of their parking in relation to the amount raised.

The best-performing councils showing negative values on their operations for the year were Surrey (£1 million), Coventry (£964,000), Essex (£936,000) and Buckinghamshire (£692,000).

When it comes to local authority parking enforcement, councils that can demonstrate their operations are serving to fund improvements in the area for motorists are therefore few and far between at present.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, concluded: "It is a case of deja vu. Once again English councils have made record amounts from parking. Yet overall spending on local roads has fallen by nine per cent over the past three years, with road safety expenditure down by as much as 20 per cent.

"It might be that some of the extra 'profit' has arisen because councils' costs for running parking services have been reduced, but drivers need to know this.

"There's no disputing the figures we have looked at. They are the numbers the councils themselves submit to central government. What's more, council budgets show that the surplus for the current year is set to be higher still."

He added recent changes to legislation concerning parking in the UK have been timely, while the launch of a new consultation on parking enforcement by the Department for Transport that began at the start of December is also a welcome development.

However, Mr Glaister noted the RAC Foundation now continues to lobby for all councils to publish details on where all funds raised through parking operations are being spent. This would allow the public to be better informed on council finances and ensure all money raised through these activities is funnelled back into benefiting motorists.

Individuals who feel they have been wrongly stung with a parking fine do have a number of courses of action open to them to challenge the ruling.

These include submitting an 'informal challenge' to any penalty charge notice within 28 days from its receipt to the relevant local authority. However, if the challenge comes within 14 days but is unsuccessful, councils have the power to only charge 50 per cent of the fine to the individual.

Conversely, if a local authority issues a Notice to Owner then individuals can present a 'formal challenge'. The powers that be then have up to 56 days to consider the claim and if the council agrees that the fine was unfair, it will then be cancelled in full.

However, if the claim is rejected a Notice of Rejection will be sent and drivers then have a further 28 days to decide whether to challenge the decision further by going to court.

Would you like to save up to 10p per litre when you fill up on the motorway?

Contact Clare Lafferty of The Fuelcard People today to see how she can help you save up to 10p at motorway pumps.

The Fuelcard People has the widest range of products available from any commercial fuel card company, including the BP fuel card, which offers a complete package of service, savings & security.

Posted by Clare Lafferty, Account Manager, The Fuelcard People.