# Parking income in Colchester

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/colchester/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Parking income in Colchester



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





In 2025–26 Colchester took **£4.3m** in parking income and spent £1.0m, a **surplus of £3.3m** against £-0.9m in 2024–25 (+472%), the 88th largest of 290 councils in England. Figures are from the council's own return to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.



Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set).





## Key figures



- £3.25mParking surplus

▲
2025–26
- £4.30mParking income

▼
2025–26
- £1.05mSpending on parking

▼
2025–26
- £0.00mPenalty charge income

▬
2025–26
- 88 of 290Rank in England, largest surplus first


2025–26




Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set).






## How much has Colchester made from parking each year?




**Colchester: parking income, spending and surplus, £ million**










**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Income | Spending | Surplus |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2017–18Details | £11.06m | £8.76m | £2.3m |
| Spending£8.76mSurplus£2.3m | | | |
| 2018–19Details | £11.47m | £9.22m | £2.25m |
| Spending£9.22mSurplus£2.25m | | | |
| 2019–20Details | £11.73m | £9.63m | £2.11m |
| Spending£9.63mSurplus£2.11m | | | |
| 2020–21Details | £8.77m | £10.65m | £-1.88m |
| Spending£10.65mSurplus£-1.88m | | | |
| 2021–22Details | £11.4m | £10.44m | £0.96m |
| Spending£10.44mSurplus£0.96m | | | |
| 2022–23Details | £11.86m | £9.65m | £2.22m |
| Spending£9.65mSurplus£2.22m | | | |
| 2023–24Details | £12.5m | £10.72m | £1.78m |
| Spending£10.72mSurplus£1.78m | | | |
| 2024–25Details | £12.87m | £13.74m | £-0.87m |
| Spending£13.74mSurplus£-0.87m | | | |
| 2025–26Details | £4.3m | £1.05m | £3.25m |
| Spending£1.05mSurplus£3.25m | | | |






Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set).






| Year | On-street income | On-street spending | Car park income | Car park spending | Penalty income |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2017–18Details | £5.98m | £5.73m | £5.08m | £3.03m | £1.90m |
| On-street spending£5.73mCar park income£5.08mCar park spending£3.03mPenalty income£1.90m | | | | | |
| 2018–19Details | £3.16m | £2.90m | £8.31m | £6.32m | £1.97m |
| On-street spending£2.90mCar park income£8.31mCar park spending£6.32mPenalty income£1.97m | | | | | |
| 2019–20Details | £3.27m | £3.17m | £8.46m | £6.46m | £1.99m |
| On-street spending£3.17mCar park income£8.46mCar park spending£6.46mPenalty income£1.99m | | | | | |
| 2020–21Details | £2.14m | £3.11m | £6.63m | £7.54m | £1.31m |
| On-street spending£3.11mCar park income£6.63mCar park spending£7.54mPenalty income£1.31m | | | | | |
| 2021–22Details | £2.99m | £3.64m | £8.41m | £6.80m | £1.77m |
| On-street spending£3.64mCar park income£8.41mCar park spending£6.80mPenalty income£1.77m | | | | | |
| 2022–23Details | £2.83m | £2.86m | £9.03m | £6.78m | £1.58m |
| On-street spending£2.86mCar park income£9.03mCar park spending£6.78mPenalty income£1.58m | | | | | |
| 2023–24Details | £3.59m | £3.47m | £8.91m | £7.25m | £2.57m |
| On-street spending£3.47mCar park income£8.91mCar park spending£7.25mPenalty income£2.57m | | | | | |
| 2024–25Details | £3.69m | £3.57m | £9.18m | £10.17m | £0.00m |
| On-street spending£3.57mCar park income£9.18mCar park spending£10.17mPenalty income£0.00m | | | | | |
| 2025–26Details | £0.00m | £0.00m | £4.30m | £1.05m | £0.00m |
| On-street spending£0.00mCar park income£4.30mCar park spending£1.05mPenalty income£0.00m | | | | | |





Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set).



All figures are cash, in the council's own return. The most recent year is a first release and may be
revised. Colchester is recorded as: Shire District.





## What can Colchester spend a surplus on?






**On-street parking charges and all council parking penalty charges (England and Wales)**



Ring-fenced by law a ring-fenced parking account. A surplus may only be spent on parking, public transport, highway and environmental improvements and similar purposes; a deficit is made good from the general fund.



[Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s55, as applied in England by SI 2022/71, regs 25 and 27](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/55)

At the end of each financial year any deficit in the account shall be made good out of the general fund or, in Wales, council fund, and (subject to subsection (3) below) any surplus shall be applied for all or any of the purposes specified in subsection (4) below




**Council car park (off-street) tariffs**



Kept by the body that collects it the council's general fund. Section 55 covers on-street parking and enforcement income, not car park fees.
Not verified



[Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, s55(1), and DfT statutory guidance on civil parking enforcement](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-enforcement-of-parking-contraventions/guidance-for-local-authorities-on-enforcing-parking-restrictions)

The income from on-street charging and any penalty charge payments received (whether for on-street or off-street enforcement) must only be used in accordance with section 55 (as amended) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.




Legal position as of 22 September 2026. Source:
[legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/). Checked by hand 22 September 2026.






## How does Colchester compare with other councils?




**Colchester among the England councils nearest it, parking surplus 2025–26**



- 84. Blackpool UA

£3.36m
- 85. Winchester

£3.30m
- 86. New Forest

£3.27m
- 87. Teignbridge

£3.26m
- ◆88. Colchester

£3.25m
- 89. Norwich City

£3.17m
- 90. Sevenoaks

£3.06m
- 91. Cheshire East UA

£2.91m
- 92. Calderdale

£2.89m




England average: £4.83m ◆ Colchester



Ranked largest surplus first; a negative figure is a deficit. [Every council](/parking-fines-and-council-parking-income/) is in the full tables.




**Show as a table**





| Name | Surplus |
| --- | --- |
| 84. Blackpool UA | £3.36m |
| 85. Winchester | £3.30m |
| 86. New Forest | £3.27m |
| 87. Teignbridge | £3.26m |
| 88. Colchester (Colchester) | £3.25m |
| 89. Norwich City | £3.17m |
| 90. Sevenoaks | £3.06m |
| 91. Cheshire East UA | £2.91m |
| 92. Calderdale | £2.89m |






Figures for the 2025–26 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set).




[Every council's parking surplus](/parking-fines-and-council-parking-income/), penalty charge
levels and the national trend.





## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: revenue outturn multi-year data set (RO2 parking)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-revenue-outturn-multi-year-data-set) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2025–26 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [legislation.gov.uk and official guidance, provision by provision](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/) | legislation.gov.uk | 22 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Related pages

- [Back to Colchester: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/colchester/)
- [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/)
- [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/)
- [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/)

## More from this publisher

- [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk)

Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.