NEWPORT City Council took in almost a quarter of a million pounds from car parking charges last year, the Argus can reveal. 

A Freedom of Information request has shown that the highest earning car park is Park Square, just off Commercial Street next to St Paul’s Church, which brought in £61,910.91 last year. 

Next most lucrative was Emlyn Street next to the Newport Centre which brought in £54,735.40 in the 2014/2015 financial year.

The council said they were unable to provide details of fines issued to motorists for overstaying and referred us instead to revenue figures detailing ticket income. 

Motorists spent almost £10,000 more on parking charges last year than the previous year, contributing £286,578.76 to the council coffers in parking charges in 2014-15. In 2013-14 the figure was less, at £277,368.75. 

Riverside car park brought in £36,661 last year while Faulkner Road next to the crown court and civic centre contributed £27,792.40

Stow Hill was less lucrative at £21,522 and Maindee was the lowest money maker at £12,124.10. The figures may seem a lot but Newport City Council is cheaper than many local authorities. 

Revenue in Park Square actually fell last year, from £74,911.90 the year before – a decrease of more than £10,000. Motorists can stay for up to three hours for £1, and up to 24 hours for £4.50. 

Meanwhile in Brighton, just one car park raised £1.6 million in 2012, meaning each space brought in £4,692 over the year.

Local trader Jon Powell, who runs the Kiosk newsagent in the Indoor Market, said even though parking charges were reasonable any price would be expensive compared to the free parking attracting shoppers in Cwmbran and Spytty.

“It’s expensive compared to free but not compared to Cardiff”, he said.

“I’m a realist and I know the council don’t own the big car parks and don’t have control over them. In an ideal world I would like to see free parking in Newport so we are on a level playing field with out of town shopping. But with Friars Walk opening things are getting better. It would be brilliant if people could park in the loading bays outside the market for a short time just to pop in.”