Wokingham borough council collected more than £800,000 in income from penalty charge notices (PCNs) during the 2025/2026 financial year.
A freedom of information request noted that £838,321.21 was received across the whole borough, with the latest figures rising year-on-year from £826,600.33 during the 2024/25 year.
A spokesperson for Wokingham borough council told Wokingham Today: “All revenue from PCN’s is used to offset the costs of enforcement.
“Any surplus can only be used in accordance with Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984.”
That law mandates that local authorities in England and Wales maintain a ring-fenced account for the income and expenditure generated from on-street parking charges and penalty notices.
It legally prevents councils from using parking revenue to fund unrelated services, such as adult social care.
That said, it also means the council does not need to divert funds to cover the costs of parking enforcement from other areas of its spending.
