Car parking charges across the UK have increased by as much as 145 per cent in the past two years

·        The average daytime parking hourly rate across the UK has increased by 11 per cent since 2022, while evening parking charges increased 22 per cent. Overnight parking rates rose by an average of 45 per cent over the same period

·        Bracknell Forest Council in the Southeast is the most expensive place to park in the UK – with an average day time hourly charge of £6.65 – followed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London (£4.90) and Wyre Forest District Council in the West Midlands (£4.05)

·        Sandwell in the West Midlands has seen the biggest increase in parking charges in the last two years, with the average day rate increasing by 145 per cent

TUESDAY 25th JUNE 2024: Car parking charges are rocketing across the UK, with some hourly day rates increasing by as much as 145 per cent since 2022 according to new research by Churchill Motor Insurance.

Analysis of parking charges at council operated car parks¹ reveals the UK average hourly daytime rate has increased by 11 per cent in just two years. In 2022 the average cost of daytime parking for a council car park sat at £1.15, increasing to £1.23 in 2023 and £1.29 in 2024.

The average hourly evening parking charge for a council operated car park in the UK jumped from £1.00 to £1.22 between 2022 and 2024, an increase of 22 per cent. Overnight rates have also seen a massive jump from 2022, increasing by an average of 45 per cent from £1.10 to £1.59 per hour across the UK. Councils who have introduced overnight parking charge since 2022 have begun charging an average of £2.90 per hour, rising to as much as £10 in the London Borough of Sutton.

Since 2022, almost a quarter of councils across the UK have increased their daytime car parking charges by more than 2 per cent, the current rate of consumer price inflation (CPI)². More than one in five councils raised their daytime prices by over 11 per cent.

At present, the most expensive place to park in the daytime is Bracknell Forest Council, costing drivers £6.65 per hour, followed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London (£4.90) and Wyre Forest District Council in the West Midlands (£4.05).

Table 1: Most expensive councils to park in the UK

Source: Churchill Motor Insurance

The North East of England has seen the biggest uptick in daytime parking charges, rising by 28 per cent since 2022, followed by the South East (25 per cent) and Scotland (21 per cent).

Specifically, Sandwell in the West Midlands has seen the biggest increase in parking charges in the last two years, with the average day time parking rate skyrocketing from 40p to 98p since 2022 (145 per cent. This is followed by Renfrewshire Council in Scotland (108 per cent increase from 60p to £1.25) and Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in the North West of England, increasing by 89 per cent from 88p to £1.66.

Table 2: Top 10 biggest percentage increases in daytime parking charges since 2022

Source: Churchill Motor Insurance

Commenting, Nicholas Mantel, Head of Churchill Motor Insurance, said: “We know that increased parking charges aren’t all about raising money for councils. Often, they are also put in place as a traffic management measure, encouraging people to use alternative transport options.

“With that in mind, no matter their location, drivers should check parking charges in advance of any journey and look to see where they might be able to find a cheaper rate.”

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

1.      FOI request issued to UK councils in March 2024. A total of 138 out of 398 councils contacted provided usable data

2.      ONS Consumer Prices Index (CPI), May 2024: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/may2024

For further information please contact:

Hayley Saunders

Churchill PR Manager

Email: hayley.saunders@directlinegroup.co.uk

FleishmanHillard

Email: DirectLineGroupMedia@Fleishman.com

Churchill

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