More than £4 million in car parking charges raked in by Horsham council

Figures show that the council’s income from car parking fees and fines for 2018/19 totalled £4,072,999.

Meanwhile, its expenditure on running the car parks during that period amounted to £2,523,569 - leaving the council a ‘surplus’ of £1,549,430.

In a request from the County Times to Horsham council for information on parking income and expenditure - which the council decided to deal with as a ‘Freedom of Information’ request - it stated: “Surplus car park income is reinvested back into the car parks either as improved lighting, new pay machines, or further enhancements to the car parks.”

However, the council’s figures show that last year’s expenditure of £2,523,569 on car parking already includes maintenance and equipment.

A council spokesman said: “The surpluses Horsham District Council makes from its car parks are used, together with our other service charges and council tax, to fund the council’s core services including planning, housing, environmental health, town centre events, the Capitol, Horsham Museum and our parks and countryside sites including Horsham Park.

“There is no surplus money available from the car parks income to fund capital works to buildings.”