North Lincolnshire Council issued over 8,800 parking penalties last year

Nearly 8,900 parking tickets were issued by North Lincolnshire Council last year.

Freedom of Information (FOI)-obtained data by Grimsby Live shows the number of parking penalties issued has stayed steady at just under 8,900 a year for two years. This follows a drop in parking tickets issued of almost a fifth compared to 2021/22.

The council raised almost £240,000 in revenue from parking penalties last financial year. A council spokesperson said signage for restrictions are clear and it is easy to avoid a ticket, adding its car parks "must be among the cheapest in the country".

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In 2023/24, there were 8,880 penalty notices issued across North Lincolnshire, up by 27 on the year before (2022/23). But this represents a fall of 1,700 tickets, or 16 per cent, compared to the 2021/22 figure of 10,580. As of June 3, there have been 927 tickets issued in the current financial year.

Revenue raised has dropped, too. The £239,504.05 figure for 2023/24 is down by £18,000 on the year before, and exceeded further by the 2021/22 figure of just over £310,000. The cost of penalty charge notices (PCNs) is out of council hands. By law, there are two rates outside London, £50 and £70, both of which can be cut by half if penalties are paid within a discount period.

The council-published revenue data on parking online shows it actually made more revenue through penalty notices than its pay and display car parks in 2022/23. Car park charges accounted for almost exactly £230,000 in revenue raised, though a further £74,000 came from season tickets. The council has kept a free parking at weekends policy for its car parks for a number of years, along with two hours of free parking on weekdays.

Revenue raised through parking enforcement firstly goes back into enforcement. Any surplus is ringfenced by law, limiting what it can be spent on. In 2022/23, all parking revenue raised, including from car park charges, was surpassed by expenditure on enforcement by £5,900.

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North Lincolnshire Council were contacted for comment. A council spokesperson said: "Parking in North Lincolnshire must be among the cheapest in the country – with two-hour free parking weekdays and it is totally free on weekends.

"Inconsiderate parking on residential streets can lead to real problems for residents. Signage where there are restrictions are clear and it is easy to avoid a ticket – just stick to the rules."

Some tickets issued remain outstanding, with inevitably higher numbers the more recent the penalty was issued. There were, by June 3, 911 penalties outstanding from 2023/24, 346 from the year before then, and 74 notices still outstanding from 2021/22.

To check out North East Lincolnshire Council's equivalent figures, click here.