Beleaguered motorists in South Tyneside forked out record fees to park last year – with council chiefs raking in almost £2million in charges.

New figures show drivers coughed up £1,334,286 in car park ticket payments alone – the highest amount since figures were first published online in 2014.

Another £118,785 came from on-street charges, with another £535,953 pocketed from penalty notice offences such as bus lane infringements – the second highest on record.

The £692,772 surplus – after staffing and premises costs were removed – was £399,021 more than the previous year and second only to £875,637 in 2017-18.

It has led to an accusation that motorists are “cash cows”, with borough campaigner Colin Campbell stating: “It’s all about getting money from drivers.”

The council denies this, saying any surplus from parking income is reinvested directly into maintaining and improving transport infrastructure, road safety and public services.

South Tyneside Council took in almost £2million in car parking cash last year. | National World

placeholder image — South Tyneside Council took in almost £2million in car parking cash last year. | National World

In all, 19,788 penalty notices, or PCNs, were issued in the 12 months to April, again second only to 25,503, also in 2017-18 – with 2,148 cancelled on appeal.

Just 5,562 PCNs were issued in 2013-14 and 9,225 in 2020-21, figures reveal.

The statistics – published in the council’s new annual parking report – also disclose motorists stopping at the seafront in South Shields were the hardest hit.

No statistics are available for 2018-19, but in 10 of 11 years from 2013-14, Pierhead car park recorded the highest amount of money.

It was followed by either South Promenade North or South Promenade South in eight of those years.

When records started in 2013-14, South Tyneside Council collected a total of £1,217,459 from on-street and off-street parking and penalty charges.

Since 2013-14, the council’s income has been boosted by £17,413,982 from parking ticket and PCN-related monies.

The 61% parking income jump in 11 years was today defended by the council.

A spokesperson said: “We understand that parking charges and enforcement can be a sensitive issue and want to be clear that our approach is not about generating profit.

"It is not a deliberate strategy to target and penalise motorists.

“It’s about managing traffic flow, ensuring fair access, supporting local businesses, and keeping our streets safe and accessible.”

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They added: “It’s also important to note that parking charges and Penalty Charge Notices are entirely separate.

“Parking charges are standard fees for using a parking space, while PCNs are set fines issued for breaking highway rules, such as overstaying, parking illegally and driving in a bus lane.

“The increase in revenue from parking charges over the past decade reflects a combination of factors including improved monitoring and compliance, the expansion of cashless payment options and the popularity of our coastal and town centre destinations.

“Any surplus from parking income is reinvested directly into maintaining and improving transport infrastructure, road safety and public services. We remain committed to transparency and publish detailed annual reports to help residents understand how parking income is used to benefit the borough.”

The spokesperson said the spike in 2017 was linked to factors including the introduction of new enforcement zones, increased staffing, and a borough-wide campaign to tackle illegal and unsafe parking.