National Trust member criticises new parking charges
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Drivers in Walton in Surrey are sure to beware when leaving their cars anywhere near the town centre after the local council handed out more than 1,000 parking tickets on a single street.
Unlucky motorists who parked their cars on the town’s high street were slapped with a staggering 1,084 different parking fines between October 202 and September 30 2021.
The numbers were discovered through a freedom of information request.
The high street has a number of restricted zones and bays including disabled spaces and those limited to 30 minutes stopping.
But the total fines almost doubled those handed to drivers in nearby Guildford which has the same population.
A spokesperson for Elmbridge Borough Council said striking a balance with parking fines was “tricky” to achieve.
They pointed out that visitors to Walton have the option of three different car parks.
The council also said that because the restrictions are in place 24 hours a day, that meant they issued more tickets than other areas.
And they laid much of the blame at the feet of local food establishments.
The spokesperson said: “The balance parking restrictions hope to achieve is tricky.
“Residents want the traffic to flow, businesses need the loading access and they also need their customers to easily access their premises.
“Walton-on-Thames town centre is served by three council car parks, plus other private car parks. Parking on the high street is limited.
“We often find that people tend to illegally park in order to collect food orders from the take away food businesses on the high street and that non-delivery vehicles park in the loading bays.”
Express.co.uk recently reported on how councils make £45million per year from parking tickets.
Councils across the UK issued some 1.3million fixed penalty notices last year alone.
That generated £5,083 every hour in revenue.
And Islington council alone made £10.8million alone through almost 300,000 parking tickets.
In the last year councils have given out parking fines to Food bank charity employees, vaccine volunteers and doctors.
Another council hoisted cars on a residential street before painting yellow lines under them and then issuing them with tickets.
Warrington Borough council issued market traders with scores of tickets while they unloaded their goods to sell.
And Bury council gave a disabled elderly woman a ticket while she got her booster jab.
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