It is my pleasure to welcome you to Brighton & Hove City Council’s Parking annual report for 2024 to 2025.
Parking and traffic management are among the services many residents and visitors experience most directly as they travel around Brighton & Hove. They shape how we experience the city, access jobs and services, and enjoy our leisure time. They are essential to ensuring our streets remain safe, fair, and accessible for everyone. As Cabinet Member for Transport and City Infrastructure, I know how important it is that we deliver a service that is modern, efficient, trusted and serves our city well.
The 2024 to 2025 financial year delivered significant progress for parking services and transport management in our city. We began preparations for the launch of digital resident permits by introducing automatic approval for permit renewals, creating a quicker and more streamlined application process for parking permits. We also introduced our first red routes to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, while reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and supporting better bus travel. Brighton & Hove also strengthened its position as a UK leader in electric vehicle charging, with nearly 500 public charge points now in operation and new government investment secured to expand this network even further. These improvements are helping us meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors today, while laying the foundations for a more sustainable future.
We also continued to invest in fairness and accessibility. We set-up a new Fraud Team within the Service and strengthened blue badge enforcement to protect the integrity of the blue badge and concessionary travel schemes. While our team worked closely with other council departments and external organisations to keep the city moving during major events such as Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and large-scale filming projects, ensuring residents, businesses, and visitors could continue to operate effectively.
We were proud to receive the 2024 Driving Improvement Award, funded by PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London), in partnership with the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP). In collaboration with PATROL and the NEPP, we created and launched the Beyond the Uniform information campaign, a powerful initiative aimed at reshaping public perceptions of Civil Enforcement Officers. The campaign highlights the people behind the role, their commitment to community safety, and the essential part they play in keeping our cities moving and safe.
Parking is often viewed as a non-essential city service, but it sits at the heart of how our city functions, supporting road safety, sustainable travel, economic vitality and growth, and fairness for residents. Our goal remains to ensure that everyone can access our streets and spaces with confidence.
I am proud of what Parking Services achieved in 2024 to 2025, and I remain committed to delivering a fair and equitable service for residents, businesses, and visitors, while supporting our shared journey towards a more sustainable and accessible Brighton & Hove.
Thank you for taking the time to read this report.
Councillor Trevor Muten
Cabinet Member for Transport and City Infrastructure
You can view these as text further down the page.
1. Digital Transformation
2. EV infrastructure leadership
3. Customer experience
4. Blue Badge and concessionary travel
5. Fraud prevention and enforcement
6. Parking scheme expansion
7. Signage and maintenance
8. On-street enforcement
9. Event management
10. Bus lanes, gates and CCTV
11. Financial performance
12. Reinvestment of surplus
13. Social value
The Parking annual report 2024 to 2025 presents a comprehensive overview of Brighton & Hove City Council’s parking services, covering financial, statistical, and performance data for the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The strategy implemented during the year reflects our commitment to modernisation, sustainability, and customer-centric services, while navigating the financial pressures facing local authorities nationwide.
Our core objective is to deliver a parking service that is:
In the 2024 to 2025 financial year, Parking Services maintained a total of 27 controlled parking zones across Brighton & Hove. These are divided into 2 categories: 18 Full Schemes and 9 Light Touch Schemes.
Across all controlled parking zones, Brighton & Hove had a total of 47,349 parking bays.
In 2024 to 2025, £227,364 was spent on sign maintenance, representing a 15% increase compared to the previous year.
During the same period, £328,380 was invested in line maintenance, marking a 33% year-on-year increase.
Permit schemes help to manage demand for parking spaces across the city.
Brighton &Hove City Council offer a wide variety of permits including:
In 2024 TO 2025 the provision of 2 Event day guest permits per household in Zone B and D was reinstated, allowing residents to park during designated event days at The Amex Stadium when attendance was expected to exceed fifteen thousand people. This measure was introduced in preparation for a new parking system for residents in Event Day Zones, which was scheduled for implementation in summer 2025.
| Zone | Resident permits issued as of 1 July 2023 | Resident permits issued as of 1 July 2024 | Resident permits issued as of 1 July 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 633 | 718 | 776 |
| C | 2,309 | 2,743 | 3102 |
| E | 202 | 229 | 240 |
| F | 1,304 | 1,454 | 1554 |
| G | 103 | 120 | 129 |
| H | 2,232 | 2,704 | 3045 |
| I | 114 | 134 | 156 |
| J | 3,807 | 4,530 | 5033 |
| K | 205 | 248 | 278 |
| L | 1,176 | 1,394 | 1510 |
| M | 1,711 | 1,772 | 2096 |
| N | 4,190 | 5,095 | 5879 |
| O | 1,998 | 2,364 | 2679 |
| P | 375 | 447 | 482 |
| Q | 1,010 | 1,171 | 1280 |
| R | 3,462 | 4,028 | 4439 |
| S | 1,245 | 1,475 | 1670 |
| T | 352 | 397 | 431 |
| U | 1,076 | 1,293 | 1541 |
| V | 2,274 | 2,733 | 3057 |
| W | 930 | 1,100 | 1169 |
| X | 388 | 387 | 401 |
| Y | 1,754 | 1,775 | 2126 |
| Z | 1,121 | 1,076 | 1302 |
| 10 | 606 | 664 | 699 |
| 11 | N/A | 186 | 208 |
| 12 | N/A | 45 | 53 |
| Total | 34,577 | 40,282 | 45,335 |
Demand increased significantly compared to 2022 to 2023. In 2024 to 2025 there were waiting lists in 3 zones, M, Y, and Z.
This table compares the number of residents on the waiting list in areas, Y and Z and M parking zones over the last 4 years.
| Resident parking zone | Number on waiting list 1 July 2021 | Number on waiting list 1 July 2022 | Number on waiting list 1 July 2023 | Number on waiting list 1 July 2024 | Number on waiting list 1 July 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Brighton North - Y | 299 | 146 | 89 | 478 | 70 |
| Central Brighton North - Z | 303 | 325 | 94 | 481 | 213 |
| Central Brighton North - M | 311 | 25 | 65 | 355 | 0 |
| Total | 913 | 496 | 248 | 1,314 | 283 |
In Brighton & Hove, using a car park is often preferable to parking on the street as many roads are reserved for resident permit holders only. Our car parks provide access to the town centre and help reduce traffic and congestion. Car parks also allow parking for longer periods and are accredited by Park Mark.
In 2024 to 2025 Brighton & Hove City Council operated 5 barrier entry car parks:
It also operated 5 off-street surface car parks.
| Car Park | Spaces |
|---|---|
| The Lanes Car Park | 355 |
| The Regency Square Car Park | 507 |
| Trafalgar Street Car Park | 257 |
| London Road Car Park | 528 |
| King Alfred Car Park | 120 |
| Norton Road Car Park | 290 |
| Blackrock Car Park | 61 |
| Rottingdean Marine Cliffs | 69 |
| Rottingdean West Street | 65 |
| Chapel Street | 81 |
Since we published this report, Chapel Street Car Park has closed.
Following the removal of Pay and Display machines in Brighton & Hove in March 2023, we decided that the off-street barrier car parks would continue to provide a pay on foot option for customers that prefer not to use the Pay by Phone parking app or PayPoint services for on-street parking. The Pay on Foot machines within the car parks continue to offer an option for on-site cash, card, and contactless payments.
The Park Mark scheme is a national standard for UK car parks that measures the safety of the people and vehicles using the facility. Each car park undergoes a rigorous assessment by specially trained police assessors, and a Park Mark is awarded to each car park that achieves the required standard.
The Safer Parking Scheme is managed by the British Parking Association (BPA) on behalf of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives. It demonstrates that the requirements of a police-conducted risk assessment have been successfully met. These requirements ensure that measures have been implemented to deter criminal activity and reduce anti-social behaviour.
All the council’s barrier car parks are accredited with the Park Mark award.
All the council’s barrier car parks have achieved Disabled Parking Accreditation (DPA). The scheme recognises off-street parking facilities which are accessible to disabled people. The DPA is primarily aimed at improving parking for disabled people and reducing abuse of disabled bays.
Car parks that achieve the DPA demonstrate to customers that the council is committed to creating high quality parking facilities for disabled people, such as:
Transport Control Centre The Transport Control Centre is a hub for traffic management and signals control. In addition, it provides customer service support to pay-on-foot cars parks, 24/7 CCTV monitoring across all barrier car parks, routine mobile security patrols and police liaison to support the safety and security of the barrier carparks.
Motorists requiring assistance within the car parks can contact the Transport Control Centre via intercom and officers can operate the barriers and pay machines remotely. The Centre is supported by a mobile maintenance team.
In 2024 to 2025 a season pass website was created to streamline the purchasing of passes for the barriered car parks. The website provided a convenient way for customers to pay for monthly, quarterly or annual passes. Customers were also given the option to use a QR code to access the car parks, reducing the need for plastic passes.
Paid parking bays are available on streets across the city for residents, visitors, and businesses. A range of parking durations are offered, from short stays of one hour to longer periods up to 12 hours, supporting both quick visits and extended stays.
The city has a total of 13,434 on-street paid parking bays. Of these, 676 bays are exclusive paid bays, while 12,758 bays are shared bays allow both paid sessions and permit holders to use them, allowing flexible use of the curb side.
Parking charges vary by location, reflecting local demand and usage patterns.
Customers can choose from several convenient payment options:
Any surplus income generated from parking fees and charges must be reinvested in transport and highway improvements. Further details on how this income is used can be found in Section 17 of this report.
In 2024 to 2025 there were 93 full time equivalent Civil Enforcement Officers patrolling Brighton and Hove, checking for parking contraventions. On street enforcement covered all roads with parking restrictions plus 5 surface car parks and 3 parks across the city.
The PCN Team improved the information available on our website to make the PCN appeals process easier to understand. Web users were able to find better guidance on how to make an appeal, and practical information on different contravention codes and how to avoid additional penalties. Our self-serve appeals and payment portal was also upgraded with a set of FAQs, giving users quick answers to the most commonly asked questions and access to updates on their appeal status.
To support fair and safe parking across the city, we also delivered dedicated enforcement action weeks targeting nuisance vehicles and repeat PCN offenders. These focused operations, delivered in partnership with enforcement agencies, continued periodically throughout the year as part of our commitment to reducing illegal and antisocial parking in Brighton & Hove.
| On-street and off-street PCN | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-street - number of higher-level penalty charge notices issued | 111,254 | 118,226 | 151,848 |
| On-street - number of lower-level penalty charge notices issued | 29,565 | 27,006 | 22,198 |
| Off-street - number of higher-level penalty charge notices issued | 554 | 313 | 296 |
| Off-street - number of lower-level penalty charge notices issued | 4,807 | 4,576 | 5,906 |
| Total | 146,180 | 150,121 | 180,248 |
To keep the city moving during major events, parking bay suspensions and coordinated enforcement were carefully managed across Brighton & Hove. Key events supported by this service in 2024 to 2025 included:
The Parking Contracts Team delivered the event enforcement strategy, which included proactive courtesy calls to residents during major events. This approach helped to reduce disruption while maintaining clear and positive communication with the community.
Brighton & Hove also remained a hub for the creative industries, welcoming back ITV for the filming of Grace Season 6. Parking Services worked closely with production teams to introduce a new citywide Film Charter.
The Charter sets out:
• shared commitments between the council and film crews
• steps to minimise disruption for local communities
• clear use of designated filming zones
• respectful treatment of filming locations
| Applications and bays suspended | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications processed | 3,028 | 2,595 | 2,806 |
| Number of bays suspended | 10,357 | 8,795 | 10,570 |
During 2024 to 2025, the pattern of parking bay suspension applications noticeably changed.
The growth in Building Work suspensions reflects better reporting, with Civil Enforcement Officers making greater use of handheld devices to identify unauthorised bay use.
Suspension activity was mostly concentrated in Zones N, Z, J, R, and C, with demand peaking over the summer months—June, July, and August.
In 2024 to 2025, we expanded our Unauthorised Bay Use initiative to address growing concerns about parking bays being misused for skips, building materials or private reservations without proper suspension. The project aimed to protect valuable kerbside space and ensure fair access for everyone who lived in or visited Brighton & Hove.
Throughout the financial year, our team investigated a substantial number of bay misuse reports.
A total of 1,006 cases were submitted and 542 were actively tackled.
As a result, more than 887 parking bays were cleared and returned for legitimate use by residents and visitors. Many of these bays had been obstructed for several days, so restoring them to public use had a meaningful impact on access and convenience.
We also saw a marked improvement in compliance.
Reports of misuse reduced steadily over the year, from 100 in April and 122 in May to 57 in February and 72 in March. This reflected the effectiveness of our combined enforcement and community engagement approach.
We were encouraged by this progress and grateful for the continued support of residents, businesses and visitors. Together, we helped make the city’s kerbside space fairer and more accessible for everyone.
To report possible Unauthorised Bay Use, contact parking services and select “Parking Bay: Suspension Enquiries.”
Parking Services uses close circuit cameras to monitor 4 barrier carparks and the Highway network across the city. This service operates 24/7 from a dedicated Transport Control Center (TCC) based in Hove Town Hall
The Transport Monitoring team provided a 24-hour service throughout 2024 to 2025, carrying out a range of critical functions. Motorists in barrier car parks were able to request assistance via an intercom system, with officers operating barriers and pay machines remotely when needed. Using on-site CCTV, officers also monitored for suspicious or anti-social behaviour in barrier carparks and responded to emergencies, working closely with a security contractor to address incidents.
Beyond car parks, the team monitored the city’s wider road network through CCTV. This allows early identification of issues such as construction or maintenance works, events, and congestion, ensuring contractors, city stakeholders, and council teams were notified of any issues quickly.
In 2024 to 2025, the Transport Monitoring team used CCTV to identify areas of the city for hotspots of potential parking contraventions and then relayed the information to NSL for Civil Enforcement Officers to attend and verify.
In July 2024, when several housing blocks across the city failed safety inspections, the team expanded their role to use CCTV to monitor for flammable items being taken into flats. This replaced the need for on-site security staff and delivered an annual saving of £1.2 million for the council.
2024 to 2025 saw continued growth in the number of PCNs issued through CCTV. This was driven by a strong working partnership with our CCTV contractors, who proactively monitored camera performance to minimise downtime with a dedicated local engineer regularly visiting enforcement sites to assess camera positioning and ensure they were optimally placed to capture contraventions.
Our Transport Enforcement Team also monitored both manual and automated camera systems performance daily. By identifying and resolving issues quickly, they helped prevent technical issues and maintained consistent compliance activity.
Together, this proactive and collaborative approach ensured that our CCTV network remained reliable, responsive and highly effective throughout the year.
The Transport Enforcement team provides additional parking enforcement across the city through a network of 35 ANPR bus lane cameras and 86 operator-controlled cameras. Video footage captured by the ANPR bus lane cameras is reviewed by trained officers to determine whether a Penalty Charge Notice should be issued.
Transport Enforcement Officers also actively monitor operator-controlled cameras to identify potential parking contraventions and gather evidential recordings for independent review. In the previous year, these cameras were used daily, from 7am to 11pm, to monitor both Red Routes, 10 cycle lanes, and 124 bus stops to improve accessibility for public transport users.
| TMA, CCTV and bus lane PCN | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of TMA, CCTV and bus lane penalty charge notices paid | 170,641 | 170,310 | 209,126 |
| Percentage of penalty charge notices paid | 72% | 73% | 72% |
| Number of TMA, CCTV and Bus Lane penalty charge notices paid at a discount rate | 143,303 | 141,755 | 173,283 |
| Percentage of penalty charge notices paid at a discount rate | 61% | 61% | 60% |
Appeals:
Throughout 2024to 2025, we worked closely with our contractors to tackle illegal parking and nuisance vehicles. We carried out targeted enforcement operations focused on persistent evaders to reduce high levels of fines and address behaviours that negatively affected other road users. These efforts improved the quality of parking provision for residents.
The Penalty Charge Notice and Appeals team reduced their backlog from 3,259 cases in April 2024 to 2,799 cases in March 2025, representing a 14% improvement. Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT)
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal is an independent body that handles appeals against Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued by local authorities and charging authorities in England (outside London) and Wales. These PCNs can be related to parking, bus lanes, moving traffic violations, and other traffic-related penalties.
If a PCN has been issued and was felt to be issued unfairly, this can be appealed directly to Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The process is designed to be straightforward and accessible, allowing the public to submit the appeal online and provide evidence to support their case.
Our mission is to provide a fair, accessible and customer-focused parking service that keeps Brighton & Hove moving safely and sustainably.
Complaints:
Compliments:
Our Blue Badge and Concessionary Travel Team continued to make a difference for residents. They supported people through each step of their Blue Badge and concessionary bus pass application process, offering help both over the phone and in person.
Their efforts were regularly recognised by service users. During the 2024 to 2025 financial year, they received 34 compliments, with May and July being the best months for positive feedback, recording 9 and 14 compliments respectively. The team also managed five formal complaints. Four were resolved at Stage 1 and one progressed to Stage 2, where it was not upheld. Blue badge applications
Demand for Blue Badges continued to grow. Applications increased by 43% compared with 2023 to 2024, which resulted in an 8% increase in the number of Blue Badges issued during the year 2024 to 2025.
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme helps residents stay mobile, independent, and connected. In the 2024/25 financial year, Parking Services contributed £10,280,724 toward concessionary bus fares.
Through this scheme, older residents aged 66 and over and eligible disabled residents can travel for free on buses across Brighton and Hove and beyond, making sustainable travel more accessible and inclusive.
For residents who are unable to use buses due to a severe or permanent disability, Brighton and Hove City Council also provides taxi vouchers. These offer a flexible alternative, supporting the city’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and fairness.
Our Enforcement and Investigation Officers were on the front line of safeguarding the integrity of the Blue Badge scheme, working closely with Sussex Police through monthly Operation Bluebird action days. They ensured badges are used only by the rightful holders, provided education where misuse is identified, and take firm action when illegal activity is identified.
To support fair and transparent enforcement, officers wear body cameras which capture interactions during investigations. This evidence can be passed to the legal team when further action is required.
In the 2024 to 2025 financial year, Parking Services established a dedicated Fraud Team to tackle misuse across its different services; from Blue Badges to concessionary travel passes, parking permits, dispensations, and car parks.
These efforts helped safeguard accessible parking, protected parking revenue and kept the city accessible for everyone.
| Type | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Resolutions Orders | 153 | 179 | 197 |
| Cautions | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| Prosecutions | 25 | 52 | 56 |
| Number of Badges retained | 254 | 267 | 279 |
| Blue Badges destroyed due to being expired, cancelled, or deceased | 149 | 153 | 220 |
Brighton & Hove continue to lead the way in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Already one of the best-covered cities in the UK. During 2024 to 2025 the city operated a total EV charging network of approximately 400 charge points, with an additional 100 new lamppost charging points and 20 new fast chargers planned from March 2025.
The EV charging network will continue to grow in future years thanks to a new multi-million-pound government investment.
The first phase of EV charging network development was backed by a £440,000 grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), covering 60% of costs, with the remainder funded by the EV charge operator, Blink Charging.
In addition to this, Brighton and Hove secured £2.865 million from the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which will support the installation of at least 1,650 new chargers over the next 3 years.
Why it matters:
Brighton & Hove officially is at the top of the UK leaderboard for on-street EV charging coverage outside London. An independent report by Field Dynamics and ZapMap confirmed that 83.1% of residents without off-street parking are now within a five-minute walk of a public EV charge point; a 6% increase on last year.
This puts the city well ahead of other local authorities, including:
In 2024, the city rapidly expanded its EV network to keep up with demand. In the final weeks of the year, 20 new lamppost charge points were installed, with a further 80 scheduled and completed before the end of the month. These were rolled out across neighbourhood streets and central locations to ensure convenience for drivers across the city. In addition to the new EV charge points, 51 new dedicated EV car bays across 16 sites were added to the curbside.
The city’s leadership in EV infrastructure made EV ownership more accessible and convenient for residents and visitors. Expanding the charging network helped cut carbon emissions, improved air quality, and brought Brighton and Hove one step closer to its Net Zero goals.
Parking Services established a team dedicated to driving forward the city’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Fully funded by the Department for Transport, the team led on procuring new ChargePoint contracts and coordinating installations across Brighton and Hove.
Alongside expanding the network, the team focused on making it easier for residents to stay connected and informed about EV charging in the city.
Highlights included:
These efforts ensured that the city’s EV programme was not only centred on infrastructure delivery but also on meaningful engagement with the people who used it.
The Effective Enforcement initiative was launched to optimise the NSL enforcement contract, ensuring value for money and greater operational efficiency. Through detailed data analysis, we defined clear metrics for effective enforcement, forecasted demand, and improved how resources were allocated across the city.
Patrol routes were comprehensively reviewed and redesigned. Early morning patrols were introduced in the city centre, and additional officers were deployed during busy evening periods. A new tiered response framework was piloted, categorising requests as Rapid, Fast, or Patrol. This improved response times and accountability and received excellent feedback from our contractor.
We analysed Penalty Charge Notice appeals to identify common cancellation reasons and training needs, which improved consistency and quality in Penalty Charge Notice issue. A dedicated events enforcement strategy was introduced for occasions such as Brighton & Hove Pride, the Brighton Marathon and large-scale filming, including courtesy calls to residents affected by suspended bays.
Working with transport colleagues, we identified congestion hotspots in the city centre and used CCTV more strategically to target obstructive parking. These actions created a more responsive and consistent service, strengthened collaboration with NSL Enforcement, and building a stronger foundation for future improvements.
The introduction of red routes along London Road, Preston Road and Lewes Road delivered a significant improvement in road safety, with bus passenger injury incidents falling by 85.7 percent following implementation. These changes were widely welcomed by key stakeholders.
Brighton & Hove Buses reported clear improvements in service reliability and passenger safety. NSL Enforcement noted that camera enforcement freed up on street resources and reduced conflict between officers and drivers. Cycling UK and Bicycles also acknowledged the reduction in obstructive parking, highlighting safer conditions for cyclists and fewer risks caused by vehicles blocking cycle lanes.
Public consultation showed strong support for the scheme, particularly in relation to improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians. In response to community feedback, the council introduced additional loading bays and motorcycle parking, demonstrating a responsive and balanced approach to implementation.
Early air quality data from both corridors indicated positive trends, and ongoing monitoring continued to build the evidence base around air quality and road collision statistics.
The success of these pilot routes created a strong foundation for exploring the potential expansion of red routes to other key areas across the city, supporting safer, cleaner and more reliable travel for all road users.
Brighton & Hove City Council launched the Beyond the Uniform campaign in partnership with PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London) and the North Essex Parking Partnership. The initiative aimed to reshape public perceptions of parking officers by highlighting the humanity behind their role and their vital contribution to the city.
The campaign was funded by PATROL after Brighton & Hove City Council and the North Essex Parking Partnership jointly won a national competition to spotlight the work of parking officers. This achievement underscored the officers’ commitment to keeping urban spaces accessible, safe and thriving.
Parking officers, managed by NSL on behalf of the council, played a central role in keeping Brighton & Hove safe, accessible and moving efficiently. They supported residents and visitors, ensured emergency routes remained clear, and assisted people with disabilities or mobility challenges. Despite this, their efforts often went unnoticed. In the year prior, reports of abuse directed at parking officers rose by more than 75 percent, with over half of incidents coming from individuals who were not directly involved in any enforcement activity.
Beyond the Uniform highlighted the individuals behind the role. The campaign showcased officers as people with families, community connections and a strong sense of pride in serving the city. Their responsibilities frequently extended beyond enforcement. They helped residents and tourists, responded to emergencies and supported vulnerable people in distress.
The campaign was recognised locally and nationally as an example of positive storytelling in public service. It was adopted and used by more than twenty local authorities across the country and received widespread press coverage for its impact and approach. By celebrating the people who kept the city running and promoting empathy and respect, Brighton & Hove City Council continued to champion social value, staff wellbeing and community cohesion.
| Location | Expenditure (£) | Income (£) | Net income (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Road | £1,691,262 | £728,569 | -£962,693 |
| Regency Square | £1,046,294 | £1,804,848 | £758,554 |
| The Lanes | £1,102,648 | £2,658,931 | £1,556,283 |
| Trafalgar | £721,146 | £1,748,058 | £1,026,912 |
| Oxford Court* | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| High Street* | £94,472 | £80,595 | -£13,877 |
| Other Off-Street | £213,294 | £1,116,425 | £903,131 |
| Total | £4,869,116 | £8,137,426 | £3,268,310 |
The Chapel Street Car Park (previously known as High Street) figures shown are after a contribution has been made to the council’s housing revenue account.
The table below displays the income sources over the past 3 financial years. The total income for 2024/25 increased by 13.55% compared to 2023 to 2024.
| Income by source | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
On-street Parking charges |
£12,385,117 | £12,525.665 | £13.970,803 |
| Parking permit income | £11,924,051 | £11,866,247 | 13,719,693 |
| Penalty Charge Notices (inclusive of bad debt provision) – includes on-street, bus lane and CCTV enforcement | £8,372,372 | £8,046,969 | £9,167,276 |
| Other income | £123,587 | £157,902 | £154,255 |
| Total | £32,805,127 | £32,596,783 | £37,012,297 |
| Percentage change | 3.6% | 0.64% | 13.55% |
The below table show the direct cost of Civil Parking Enforcement (on street and surface car parks).
The total direct costs for 2024 to 2025 increased by 21.40% compared to 2023 to 2024.
| Direct cost of Civil Parking Enforcement | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enforcement | £5,587,632 | £6,385,686 | £7,281,039 |
| Admin, appeals, debt recovery and maintenance | £5,489,224 | £5,208,779 | £4,831,873 |
| Scheme review and new schemes | £1,506,395 | £1,862,411 | £1,828,480 |
| Capital charges | £704,021 | £599,328 | £563,523 |
| Total | £13,287,272 | £14,056,205 | £14,504,915 |
| Percentage change | 19.73% | 5.79% | 21.40% |
Any surplus made through parking fees and charges must be invested into transport related projects and highways. This is a legal requirement. In 2024 to 2025, after direct costs, there was a surplus of £22,507,383 an increase of 21.3% compared to 2023 to 2024.
The table below shows a year-on-year comparison of how surplus income was invested back into the city.
| Spending supported by civil parking enforcement income surplus | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | 2024 to 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concessionary fares | £10,637,762 | £9,644,448 | £10,280,724 |
| Capital investment borrowing costs | £1,798,705 | £1,772,058 | £1,745,410 |
| Supported bus services and other public transport services | £1,663,928 | £516,544 | £498,777 |
| Contribution to eligible transport related expenditure | £5,417,460 | £6,607,529 | £9,982,473 |
| Total | £19,517,855 | £18,540,578 | £22,507,383 |
Use of surplus income from parking charges and penalty charges is governed by section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Once the need for provision of off-street parking facilities and to make good deficits to central funding has been met, use of surplus is currently confined to the provision of public transport services or to road, air quality or environmental improvements.
The Brighton & Hove City Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan provided funding from HM Government for capital and revenue schemes to support bus services across the city. This allowed for the provision and enhancement of socially and economically necessary bus services across the city. These services were previously funded through the council’s Public Transport budget in 22/23 and earlier. School routes are exempt from this and remain funded through the Public Transport budget.
A nationally mandatory bus concession for older and disabled people has been in place since 2001. The scheme has gradually been extended since its introduction and since April 2008 has provided free off-peak local bus travel to eligible older and disabled people anywhere in England.
A large proportion of the Parking Services financial surplus is spent on providing free travel for both the elderly and disabled citizens.
£10,280,724 was spent on this service in financial year 2024 to 2025.
An apprenticeship is a paid role that combines work experience with structured training toward a recognised qualification. Apprentices gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for their job through on-the-job learning and dedicated study time with an approved training provider.
Apprenticeships are open to people of all ages, offering new recruits and existing staff a valuable route into employment and career progression.
Training is funded through the government’s Apprenticeship Levy, which covers most programme costs, with services only contributing if additional training is required. This model enables the council to invest in local talent, develop a skilled workforce and create meaningful opportunities for the community.
In the financial year 2024 to 2025 Parking Services had 4 apprentices studying and gain on-the-job experience in the roles of:
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives the public the right to access recorded information held by public authorities, including government bodies, the NHS, schools, universities, and the police.
It promotes transparency and accountability by allowing people to understand how decisions are made and how public money is spent.
During the financial year 2024 to 2025, 99 FOI requests were recorded under Parking Services. This figure did not include cases where more than one service area was asked to provide information and Parking Services contributed but was not listed as the lead service area.
The regulations require local authorities to respond to a FOI with 28 days from the date of receiving the request.
2024 to 2025 FOI requests and response times are shown below:
| Cases | 99 | N/A |
| Late | 6 | 6.1% |
| On-time | 93 | 93.9% |
Subject Access Request (SAR) is a legal right under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR that allows individuals to request access to the personal data an organisation holds about them, along with information on how and why it is being used. This helps individuals understand, verify, and ensure their data is being processed lawfully.
We received 17 Subject Access Requests.