Council accused of using car parks as 'cash cow'

The council said Lincoln Central car park will be improved later this year

A council has been accused of treating car parks as a "cash cow" after raising fees to help pay for leisure centres.

City of Lincoln Council has increased parking charges by between 10p and 30p for a single stay, with documents showing the move was made to offset the costs of refitting Yarborough and Birchwood leisure centres.

Conservative group leader Tom Dyer said councils should be backing struggling high streets, adding: "The city council continues to rely on its cash cow – our local car parks – for bailouts."

But Councillor Joshua Wells, of the ruling Labour group, defended the charges and said the "much-loved" leisure centres were "vital to the physical and mental wellbeing" of residents.

The leisure centres closed suddenly on 3 April after Active Nation, the charity that ran them, ceased trading.

Both centres reopened in August after Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) was appointed as an interim operator.

But the new contract meant the council has taken on a significant cost that did not exist under Active Nation, including a management fee and any potential losses, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Car parking prices rose at the beginning of September

Increased parking charges are expected to bring in an extra £1m by 2030.

One hour's parking has gone up from £2.30 to £2.40, with 24 hours rising from £9.80 to £10.

Dyer said: "It's disappointing to see the Labour-run City of Lincoln Council hiking parking charges to plug the financial gap caused by their failure to manage the leisure centre contract.

"These increases appear to be aimed at covering the costs of their new leisure deal."

But Wells said the authority planned to improve Lincoln Central car park by installing a new entrance, exit and payment facilities later this year.

"This six-figure investment will create a quicker, more reliable and user-friendly system for everyone who uses this prime city centre car park," he added.

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