MOTORISTS are coughing up millions of pounds to their councils for parking.

Government figures reveal the boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley took more than £24m in sales, fees and charges from April 2004 to April last year.

Even after costs of the parking operations were taken out, the councils had a combined surplus of more than £10m.

By law, councils have to spend surplus from parking revenue on public transport, highways or the environment.

Bexley Council confirmed the income figure (see below) but disputes the expenditure and surplus figures, quoting £2.73m and £1.47m instead.

A Bexley Council spokesman said: "The figures we provided are the full cost of parking both off-street and on-street, including capital financing costs and overheads.

"With the surplus we supplement expenditure on highway improvements.

"On top of this we spent almost £7m on Freedom passes in 2004/5."

Greenwich Council also disputed the figures, citing a total parking income of £3.062m, expenditure of £2.463m and a surplus of £599,214.

A spokesman said: "The surplus provides a significant contribution to the £5m the council spends each year on maintaining highways and the £3m funding Freedom passes."

Lewisham Council says the figures are accurate.

A spokesman said: "All the money from parking fines and fees go back into the borough's roads and highways.

"It contributes towards highway improvements such as the borough's traffic management schemes, better lighting and signs, road construction, resurfacing and footways.

"The money obtained through parking in Lewisham is among the lowest of the greater London boroughs."

Bromley Council quoted an income of £9.4m, expenditure of £5.4m and a surplus of £4m.

A spokesman said: "We are at a loss to explain other figures which may have been quoted elsewhere.

"We would expect the number of fines to be higher in Bromley than some other boroughs. We are the biggest London borough, with one of the highest car ownership figures in London.

"We spent approximately £9m in the same period on Freedom passes alone and therefore council taxpayers still pay towards transport- related services and projects."


MONEY FROM MOTORS

LOCAL authority parking income from sales, fees and charges, from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Bexley's total income is £4.210m, its total expenditure is £2.073m and its surplus is £2.137m
Bromley's total income is £8.710m, its total expenditure is £4.171m and its surplus is £2.137m £4.539m
Greenwich's total income is £7.289m its total expenditure is £5.378m and its surplus is £1.911m
Lewisham's total income is £4.398m its total expenditure is £2.598m and its surplus is £1.911m £1.800m