Watford Borough Council made nearly £24k from parking fines in just one street last year, an investigation has revealed.

Leavesden Road was by far the hottest road for charges with 792 issued between January 2021 and January 2022 – generating at least £2k most months.

Percy Road near the town centre was second with just over £14k from 477 tickets, followed by nearby Rosslyn Road, which racked up £13k from 470 charges.

A Freedom of Information request revealed WBC made just under £162k overall from 27,368 charges during the period.

Check how much money your street made

Unsurprisingly the top five streets were also made up of roads within range of the town centre – Francis Road (382) and King Street (365).

Other charge-prone roads included Queens Street near Watford General, which made over £3k, as well as neighbouring Whippendell Road (£4,600).

Councillor Ian Stotesbury, Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “Illegal parking in the controlled parking zones is a big frustration for local residents and tickets are only issued when people make a decision to park where they shouldn’t. 

“Money received from fines is only used for investment in parking and traffic improvements across the town, such as more cycle parking facilities, provision for electric vehicles and public realm improvements.”

Parking charges breakdown by street

 

He added that of tickets issued only 10 were appealed to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal – which he said was a good indicator that enforcement was working and protecting spaces.

Cllr Stotesbury continued: “Parking can be a challenge in parts of Watford, which is why it is so important to look at different ways to travel around the town, including initiatives such as bike and bus schemes or a Watford car club. 

“Our recent consultation on our new sustainable transport strategy shows there is appetite to look at greener travel options and we are now exploring how we can take these forward.”

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