Council chiefs in South Holland have denied car parks are “ a cash cow” after recent figures showed huge incomes in other parts of the country.
A new report compiled by the RAC Foundation suggested that some councils were raking in millions of pounds from charging motorists for on and off-street parking.
Eight of the top ten biggest surpluses were, not surprisingly, in London boroughs, but the RAC figures showed South Holland District Council has made £385,000 from car parks between 2009 and 2012 – ranking it 280th out of 359.
This breaks down as a surplus of £218,000 in 2009/10, £77,000 in 2010/11 and £90,000 in 2011/12.
But a spokesman for South Holland District Council said the RAC figures do not include capital costs and the actual figures for 2011/12 were an income of £279,000, expenditure of £216,000, leaving a surplus of £62,000.
Last year, 2012/13, those figures showed an income of £266,000, expenditure of £231,000 – a surplus of £35,000.
Costs at the council’s car parks vary, ranging from 20p for two hours at Spalding swimming pool, 50p for 30 minutes in the Sheepmarket, or £1.50 for all day at the Victoria Street car park.
In Holbeach, the Fishpond Lane car park is free to use, while the first two hours are free in Boston Road.
The spokesman said: “The council has a four-year rolling programme on its car parks and this is taken from our policy on fees and charges which says the basis for setting charges will include a contribution to the repairs and renewals fund for scheduled car park works and will break even over four years.
“Around £70,500 is currently budgeted for repairs and renewals in our capital programme.”
Coun Paul Przyszlak, deputy leader of the council and portfolio holder for strategic finance, said: “As is clear from our fees and charges policy, we don’t see car parks as a cash cow.
“We believe it’s important to provide well-sited, well-maintained car parks for the benefit of shoppers, workers and residents.
“There is a significant cost in doing that but the income which we receive from them is ploughed back into maintaining them with the ultimate aim that they break even.”