Southampton City Council cracks down on unpaid parking fines

It has been estimated that the unpaid parking fines could amount to nearly £1.5m

A city is expected to bring in tougher measures to collect money from unpaid parking fines.

Southampton City Council needs to find millions of pounds by October to avoid potential government intervention over its finances.

The proposed crackdown on parking tickets would be an attempt to help bridge its financial gap.

More than 20,000 parking fines were left unpaid in 2022/2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report has said the authority is spending beyond its means and may exhaust its reserves.

The Labour-run council has since brought in external accountants and is holding weekly meetings to cut costs.

The council has commissioned the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) to review its finances.

In previous bids to balance its budget, the council approved plans to switch off street lights at night and increase the Itchen Bridge toll by 20p.

Simon Letts, cabinet member for finance, said "every available tool in the box" should be used to ensure the authority collects "every penny owed".

Most parking fines in Southampton begin at £35 and are given out for offences such as parking on double yellow lines or overstaying in a council-run car park. However, this figure can be much more.

If you receive a parking fine in Southampton and you do not pay a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) within 28 days, you will get a "charge certificate" and will have 14 days to pay the original fine, plus 50% more.

Details of the collection plans have not yet been revealed.

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