Councils make £635 million profit from motorists' parking This £635 million municipal parking profit shows why we need to review and rein in unfair town hall parking rules. This government has scrapped the last administration's Whitehall rules which told councils to hike up parking charges and adopt aggressive parking enforcement. But councils aren't listening, and local shops and hard-working families are suffering as a result. The law is clear that parking is not a tax or cash cow for town hall officers. The latest figures are likely to widen the split between the coalition parties on parking. Mr Pickles, has called for motorists to be allowed to park on double yellow lines for 15 minutes, while Norman Baker the Liberal Democrat local transport minister has refused to rule out increasing parking fines outside London from £70 to £130. More than 350 councils in England now have the power to control parking on their streets and pocket fines from motorists. Councils have boosted their income in a number of ways including pushing up the cost of hourly parking. Some have introduced meters were parking was once free or extended the time when charges are enforced. The latest figures were seized upon by the AA's president, Edmund King who described the rise - which is double the rate of inflation - as shocking. Families and business are struggling with high fuel prices and the towns and cities that want their business are unnecessarily ramping up parking profits which ultimately damages trade and the local economy. Where a surplus is generated, the money must be used for transport projects. But last month, in a groundbreaking judgment, the High Court ruled that Barnet council in north London had acted illegally by pushing up the cost of residents" parking permits explicitly to pay for road repairs and concessionary bus travel. Cllr Peter Box, Chair of the Local Government Association's Economy and Transport Board, defended the amount of money councils make. "Parking revenue is spent on paying for parking services"" he said. Any money left over goes toward transport services like filling potholes, concessionary travel, park and rides, street lights and road improvement projects. As the report makes clear many councils have to subsidise parking services as the cost is not covered by charges. Parking charges and fines help councils keep traffic flowing and pedestrians and motorists safe. They also help keep the roads clear for emergency services and business deliveries, and ensure that people can park near their homes or local shops.