PARKING fines in Worcester generated more than £700,000 for the council in a year - and the amount of cash generated is going up, according to the latest data.
Worcester City Council figures show fines issued at public car parks or for other infringements, such as parking on double yellow lines or overstaying time limits in on-street bays, generated £701,741 in penalty charge notices (PCNs) in 2025/25.
This was significantly higher than the totals recorded in the previous five years, according to figures the Worcester News obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the city council.
How much will a parking fine cost me in Worcester?
A parking fine issued by the city council is either £50 or £70, depending on the severity of the violation.
If paid within 14 days, the fine is discounted by 50 per cent to either £25 or £35, respectively.
The income generated from parking fines funds the management of parking in the city, making it a self-funding department within the city council, paying the salaries of those who work for it.
Cllr Adam Scott, a Labour city centre councillor for Cathedral ward, said the city council was keen to support businesses but that 'penalties are a necessary part of the equation' but that improving active travel, encouraging people to walk or cycle into the city, was also important.
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He added: "All our car parks are Ringo now, so having no cash is not an excuse anymore. The penalty charge notice levels are reasonable."
The majority of this total was generated through on-road parking charges (£535,253) which is issued for breaking street parking rules (contravening local traffic regulations) such as parking on double yellow lines, parking in a restricted resident bay or overstaying a time limit.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the revenue from PCNs was generated by off-road fines/car parks (£166,498).
The total £701,751 figure was a significant rise from the previous years, £520,884 in 2024/25, £493,808 in 2023/24 and £572,576 in 2022/23.
How many council car parks in Worcester?
Worcester City Council operates 14 car parks across the city, offering over 2,500 parking spaces.
The most prolific car parks in terms of fines issued was St Martin's Gate, where 1,646 penalty charge notices were handed out, raising £24,712 in 2025/26.
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St Martin's Gate, which has 714 standard spaces and 24 disabled spaces, is the largest public car park in the city.
In the previous financial year (2024/24), 1,008 parking penalty charge notices were handed out to motorists, generating £17,850.
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However, what may be more surprising is that one of Worcester's smaller public car parks, Cornmarket, has also often resulted in the most parking fines.
At the Cornmarket, which has 85 standard spaces and three disabled bays, 728 fines were handed out in 2023/24, raising £16,367, placing it top of the table for fines issued in that year.
Cllr Adam Scott said he felt Worcester city's car parks were 'competitive' and 'within reason' in terms of prices and they had to keep the situation 'under control' in terms of people breaking the rules.
He added: "I'm really pleased that our staff are so diligent in enforcing the necessary rules for car parking, making sure that bays are available for those who need them and making sure people follow the laws."
Cllr Scott said the council had also invested in EV charging points at city car parks, including St Martin's Gate and King Street.
A Worcester City Council spokesperson: “Our parking service is focused on enforcing traffic regulation orders and ensuring traffic in Worcester can flow well without obstructions.
“The income from on-street parking goes towards running the parking service and road maintenance via County Highways.
“The income from the off-street parking is reinvested in essential services provided by the City Council, including bin collections, street cleansing, housing and planning applications."
