English councils made a record £819 million from their parking operations in the last financial year - 10 per cent higher than the year before.
The 2016-17 figure is 40 per cent higher than the £587 million made in 2012-13, and £377 million above what councils themselves had forecast for the year.
The findings come from an analysis for the RAC Foundation by transport consultant David Leibling of the official returns that councils make annually to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Funding children’s social services is the most pressing concern for finance heads, local government experts have revealed.
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and service delivery specialists Peopletoo say in its report Changing Children’s Lives children’s social services has edged ahead of adult social care as the main priority in upper-tier councils.
But they say there needs to be more focus on effective use of public money when demand is outstripping budgets and there has been no improvement in children’s services in a decade.

MPs from all parties have launched a group to ‘drive business, skills and economic growth’ in the north of England.
The Northern Powerhouse parliamentary group aims to attract investment and highlight issues affecting the region.
It was set up by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a body chaired by former chancellor George Osborne in 2014.
It comes after Manchester mayor Andy Turnham said the country was still ‘too London-centric’.

Councils are ready for freezing temperatures with 1.5 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and gritters out in force.

The Business Secretary has launched the government’s flagship Industrial Strategy with a plan to boost the economy and build on the country’s strengths.

Oxford City Council is investing over £3.68 million in the current financial year to improve its housing stock and residential estates.
75 households at Townsend Square in East Oxford will benefit from an ongoing £800,000 refurbishment programme to repair balconies, provide additional car parking space, new bike storages and bin stores.

Gateshead Council has given the green light to the building of the first new council houses to be designed and built by the council for 30 years.
Local councillors have agreed to a range of proposals to design and build homes for both sale and rent on a variety of council-owned sites across the borough. The proposals include seven new homes for rent in Dunston, the first new council homes to be built in three decades, and an additional 14 new homes on three different sites, set to be constructed in early 2018.

South Northamptonshire Council is incorporating advanced telematics to help cut fuel bills on its refuse vehicles and electric vehicles.
The council, in conjunction with Cherwell District, will also investigate the expansion and improvement of existing electric charging points at council depots as a first step towards changing council vans and cars to electric power.

Ministers have revealed details of the North of Tyne devolution deal which will see the region benefit from £600 million of new government investment.

Two schools in Crawley and Horsham are the latest to join the West Sussex County Council Solar Power for Schools programme.