BRITAIN’S most expensive council-run car parks have been revealed.
Local authorities have been accused of treating motorists like a ‘cash cow’ as they seek to ratchet up parking charges amid a cost of living crisis.
2The UK’s most expensive car parks have been revealedCredit: Getty
2And now a new study has revealed the huge difference between prices being charged across the country.
Figures show that across that councils rake in around a whopping £1.8 billion per year from parking charges alone.
Analysis carried out by MailOnline shows that the most expensive parking in the country was found at Manchester City Council’s King Street West facility.
Here drivers must fork out a whopping £5.70 per hour – or £32.50 for a 24-hour stay.
Motorists also have the option to splash out on an annual permit for £1,810.
In joint second place is the City of London and Brighton, where drivers must pay an eye-watering £2.05 per hour to leave their vat
Ringing in third is Newcastle where Geordies are forced to part with £2.40 an hour.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the campaign group the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Residents are fed up with being treated like cash cows by their councils.
“Car parks can be a lucrative source of income, but charging motorists large sums does not seem to have stopped local authorities from whacking up council tax anyway.
“Bosses must look at the bigger picture and think about how these charges impact local residents and struggling shops.’”
In stark contrast Leeds offers a rate of just 40p at its out-of-town Otley facilities.
Meanwhile, several Milton Keynes car parks charge just 50p an hour.
It comes after it was revealed drivers could be stung by hikes of up to 10 per cent as councils are plotting fee increases.
A string of councils, including those in York, Southend, Thanet and the London borough of Waltham Forest, have already said they will bump up parking charges by double digit percentages from April.
In even more extreme moves, Cornwall Council are planning to boost the price for an hourly ticket at tourist hotspots by 29 per cent to £2.20.
Dudley Council will hike the cost of an all-day ticket by 43 per cent to £5, while Bristol City Council will double the prices at popular sites.
Not only are price rises clobbering car-owners, but some local authorities are extending charging times late into the evening and charging in previously free areas, as well as bumping up parking fines.
However, council officials have defended the increases, saying they need the extra cash to fund services like social care as prices spiral out of control.
Story Credit: thesun.co.uk