UK councils have generated £359,939,225 from residential parking permits during the last five years, according to new research from cinch, the UK’s biggest online used car retailer.

The findings, based on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to all 218 upper tier local authorities in the UK, reveal the substantial income generated from resident-only parking schemes.

The data shows that the top 10 highest-earning councils generated more than £238m alone, accounting for almost two thirds of the total revenue.

Wandsworth Borough Council in London topped the list with over £38.2m, followed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with £31.5m, and Brighton and Hove City Council with over £28.3m.

Wandsworth’s annual revenue peaked in 2024, reaching just short of £8.3m – a 15% increase from the £7.1m collected in 2020.

While major London boroughs dominated the total revenue figures, the largest percentage increases were spread across the UK.

Nottingham City Council recorded the biggest percentage increase at 2,009%, with revenue rising from just £4,280 in 2020 to £90,270 by 2024.

Coventry City Council saw a 543% increase, with permit revenue growing from £15,551 in 2020 to £100,031 by 2024.

Other notable increases included Aberdeenshire Council (500%), Hampshire County Council (364%), and Hillingdon Borough Council (282%).

Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, said: “The total revenue from residential parking permit revenue is eye-opening.

“With almost £360 m raised by the 128 upper tier local authorities that responded, the real total will be significantly higher.

“It’s interesting to see which councils have raised the most and how rapidly some are increasing charges year-on-year.

“For anyone budgeting the cost of motoring, permits are increasingly becoming a cost to factor in alongside fuel, insurance and maintenance.”