Manchester Council Rakes in Staggering £17M from Parking Fines

Manchester City Council generated a significant £17 million in income from parking charges between 2025 and 2026, according to recently released government data. This figure positions Manchester among the top five highest-earning local authorities outside of London for revenue collected from both car parks and on-street parking. The council's total income from these charges amounted to £39.132 million, with £22.105 million allocated to cover maintenance and operational costs. It is important to note that these figures do not encompass parking fines, which reportedly brought in an additional £20 million during the same period, as revealed by a freedom of information request.

A broader analysis conducted by car recovery firm The AA on local authority revenues indicates a substantial nationwide increase in income from parking charges. Since pre-Covid times, this revenue stream has risen by more than 50 percent, climbing from £1.758 billion in 2019-20 to a remarkable £2.674 billion in 2025-2026. This significant surge has prompted warnings from The AA, whose spokesperson cautioned that some councils are 'treating parking as a cash cow' to bolster their strained budgets.

Jack Cousens, The AA’s head of roads policy, elaborated on this concern, stating that while many councils provide excellent and reasonably priced parking services, a considerable number exploit parking as a means to prop up struggling finances. He argued that this approach often leads to expensive parking, which deters visitors and ultimately causes a decline in income for these authorities. Cousens also highlighted the impending impact of the Prime Minister’s £2 bus fare cap, or £4 for a round trip, suggesting that with petrol prices nearing £1.75 a litre and city centre parking becoming increasingly costly, drivers might opt for public transport. This shift could provide financial relief to individuals but simultaneously pose a challenge for councils, as their critical parking revenue could diminish.

When examining the councils that profited most from motorists nationally, Westminster led the country with £109 million in income, followed by Lambeth with £57 million and Kensington and Chelsea with £55 million. Outside of London, Manchester secured the fifth spot on the list of 'parking profiteers', and notably, it was the only Greater Manchester authority identified. This list was topped by Brighton and Hove with £28 million, followed by Nottingham with £21 million, Birmingham with £20 million, and Bournemouth with £17 million.

In response to these findings, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council affirmed their operation of a robust parking service, designed to serve as a proportional deterrent against illegal parking. The spokesperson also clarified that all revenue generated from fines or penalty notices is strictly ring-fenced and subsequently reinvested into the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of Manchester’s extensive highways network.