COUNCIL tills ring to the tune of more than �5,000,000 profit from parking control, the Times can reveal. Brent Council rakes in a staggering �5,520,000 in surplus cash from its parking department but still insists the service is there to protect motoris

COUNCIL tills ring to the tune of more than �5,000,000 profit from parking control, the Times can reveal.

Brent Council rakes in a staggering �5,520,000 in surplus cash from its parking department but still insists the service is there to protect motorists.

Red faced transport chiefs had to be shamed into refunding a measly �13,000 by this paper after they sent out traffic wardens on Boxing Day last year despite saying four days earlier that it would be free.

But the figure pales into insignificance when placed alongside the �13,957,000 total income Brent's parking department is predicted to make up until March 2010.

The figures, which also show a total expenditure of �8,437,000 including �1,501,136 on 'parking enforcement attendants', are in a document leaked to the Times which shows the complete expenditure and income of the council's parking department.

Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala, Stonebridge ward, said: "This is another shameful example of the Lib-Dem council using motorists to make money.

"Brent's parking policy is not about parking enforcement but all about raking in more money to fill the hole in the council's finances, caused by the Lib-Dems' savage cuts."

According to the document, parking permits bring in �2,448,722 for the council while PCN removals account for �1,020,000 of annual income.

Barrie Segal, a campaigner fighting for motorist's rights through his website www.appealnow.com, said: "When motorists see the level of surplus they may well wonder whether the parking tickets they receive are really issued to move traffic safely or a revenue raising exercise."

Council chiefs denied the cash would be transferred to another department and said it had a statutory requirement to spend it on transport, with the majority going on roads.

Despite that the council could not confirm how many potholes created by the snow and bad weather at the beginning of the year had been filled in and when the authority would fix the roads completely.

A council spokesman said: "The surplus is solely made up of the balance of revenue over the cost of administering the service.

"We are pleased that there has been significant reductions year-on-year in the number of tickets issued because of increasing compliance."

alex.wellman@archant.co.uk