Ludlow on-street parkers hit with £70,000 fines
Motorists were hit with more than £70,000 of parking fines over two years in Ludlow, a town notorious for its narrow medieval streets.
About £27,000 was levied in on-street parking fines in 2015 and about £44,000 in 2014 – both figures are multiple times higher than the money raised in fines in the the town's official car parks.
The figures have been revealed as Ludlow Town Council makes a bid to take on the car parks from Shropshire Council to ensure some of the money raised stays in the town, with Councillor Vivienne Parry set to ask questions at a full council meeting at Shirehall on Thursday.
But the fines also show how bad the parking situation is in Ludlow town centre, with some residents calling the situation "a disgrace".
In 2014 1,326 penalty charge notices were issued for on-street parking totalling £43,825, while in 2015 948 notices were issued raising £26,819.
In comparison, only £12,290 and £5,457 were raised in 2014 and 2015 respectively in the town's council-run car parks in Castle Street, off the town's main square, in Upper Galdeford, and in Smithfield, off Lower Galdeford.
Dan Lloyd, chairman of Ludlow Civic Society, said there was a lot of disgruntlement over the parking situation in the town.
He said: "It's always been a big point of debate in Ludlow because it's such an obvious milch cow for Shropshire Council, and none of the money is spent back in Ludlow.
"It's all very well having parking charges and high fines, but where does the money go?
"The simple answer is it goes to Shrewsbury and never emerges," he said.
Last month Ludlow Town Council wrote to Shropshire Council requesting the car parks are transferred to the town's control, as it would raise much-needed revenue at an estimated £440,000 after running costs.
Mr Lloyd agreed this was a good idea.
