Parking tickets in Camden generate £10million

Camden Traffic warden in Hampstead High Street Â© Nigel Sutton email pictures@nigelsuttonphotography.com

Parking tickets issued in Camden last year generated almost £10million – and four of the top 10 hotspots for fines across the borough were in Hampstead.

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Camden Council received a total income of £9,998,684.11 from penalty charge notices (PCNs) last year.

The most tickets – 2,824 – were issued in Hatton Garden in central London. But Chalk Farm Road came second on the list with 2,570 tickets issued, followed by Arlington Road with 2,515 in third place, Hampstead High Street with 2,307 in fifth, and Belsize Lane with 1,415 in ninth place.

In total, 190,316 tickets were issued, of which 19,670 – or more than 10 per cent – went unpaid.

Residents have criticised the council for penalising motorists too harshly.

Steven Coogan, 36, of Belsize Crescent, said: “It’s a scam. It’s a way for them to raise more revenue and it’s designed for you to fail.

“There’s zero tolerance. When they issue a ticket it’s all in commercial interest.”

Bridget Loughney, 48, of Park Drive, said of parking officers patrolling Hampstead High Street: “They’re very vigilant, they’re waiting for you.

“I’ve got a few fines in the past, sometimes moments after the ticket expired. It’s just revenue making. I make a point of trying not to park here.”

But others have argued that strict enforcement of parking laws is necessary.

Rosie White, 47, of Lyndhurst Gardens, said: “If people overstay there’s just no parking for anyone any more. We all know the rules. If you stick to them you don’t get a ticket.”

A Camden Council spokesman said: “The number of penalty charge notices Camden issues has been falling steadily for years, indicating that Camden has become more efficient at running parking services.

“It’s a common misconception that councils make money from parking services; legally this is not allowed and all money is ring-fenced for road improvements and concessionary travel passes.”