DRIVERS are being warned to be extra vigilant when parking as new research from Churchill motor insurance found a 64% increase in the number of parking fines (Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) or Excess Charge Notice (ECN)) issued by councils between 2020 and 2022.
Drivers in London were hardest hit by parking fines, the City of Westminster topped the list, with 345,245 fines issued in 2022. Followed by the London Borough of Camden (284,260 fines), and London Borough of Hackney (274,067 fines). In total, London boroughs accounted for 36.7% of the parking fines issued in 2022. Outside of London, Bristol (267,412), Manchester (223,940), Edinburgh (167,474), and Glasgow (145,081) also saw a large number of penalty notices handed out.
Up to 30th June 2023, four councils had already issued over one hundred thousand Parking Enforcement Notices and were on track to meet the previous year’s number of notices, if not exceed the total number.
| Council | Up to June 30, 2023, Parking Enforcement Notices | 2022 Parking Enforcement Notices |
| The City of Westminster | 172,488 | 345,245 |
| Manchester City Council | 128,916 | 223,940 |
| London Borough of Hackney | 110,372 | 274,067 |
| City of Glasgow | 107,036 | 145,081 |
In 2022, councils reported more than £165million in revenues from parking fines, with seven councils generating more than £10 million in profit after paying contractors2.
Top 10 UK council net revenue generators in 2022
| Council | 2022 Net Revenue |
| London Borough of Merton | £17,518,032 |
| London Borough of Camden | £17,099,000 |
| London Borough of Hackney | £13,442,942 |
| London Borough of Hounslow | £12,959,611 |
| London Borough of Brent | £12,715,000 |
| Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea | £11,521,000 |
| London Borough of Islington | £11,382,599 |
| London Borough of Croydon | £7,562,135 |
| London Borough of Redbridge | £5,172,161 |
| Manchester City Council | £4,231,399 |
Nicholas Mantel, Head of Churchill motor insurance, said: “Life can be hectic, it’s easy to lose track of time and overstay in a paid parking space or to briefly park on double yellow lines to quickly drop something off, but as our data reveals, councils are increasing the number of parking enforcement notices they issue so drivers need to be extra vigilant when parking to avoid these hefty fines.”
