# Parking income in Reading UA url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/reading-ua/ 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 Reading UA Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). In 2025–26 Reading UA took **£10.7m** in parking income and spent £5.9m, a **surplus of £4.8m** against £4.3m in 2024–25 (+13%), the 67th largest of 290 councils in England. Penalty charges brought in £2.7m. 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 - £4.79mParking surplus ▲ 2025–26 - £10.69mParking income ▲ 2025–26 - £5.90mSpending on parking ▲ 2025–26 - £2.68mPenalty charge income ▲ 2025–26 - 67 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 Reading UA made from parking each year? **Reading UA: parking income, spending and surplus, £ million** **The numbers behind this chart** | Year | Income | Spending | Surplus | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2017–18Details | £7.37m | £3.36m | £4.01m | | Spending£3.36mSurplus£4.01m | | | | | 2018–19Details | £8.23m | £3.62m | £4.61m | | Spending£3.62mSurplus£4.61m | | | | | 2019–20Details | £8.15m | £3.79m | £4.36m | | Spending£3.79mSurplus£4.36m | | | | | 2020–21Details | £3.37m | £4.71m | £-1.34m | | Spending£4.71mSurplus£-1.34m | | | | | 2021–22Details | £7.5m | £4.43m | £3.07m | | Spending£4.43mSurplus£3.07m | | | | | 2022–23Details | £9.2m | £4.51m | £4.69m | | Spending£4.51mSurplus£4.69m | | | | | 2023–24Details | £9.94m | £5.15m | £4.79m | | Spending£5.15mSurplus£4.79m | | | | | 2024–25Details | £9.29m | £5.04m | £4.26m | | Spending£5.04mSurplus£4.26m | | | | | 2025–26Details | £10.69m | £5.9m | £4.79m | | Spending£5.9mSurplus£4.79m | | | | 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 | £3.25m | £1.54m | £4.12m | £1.82m | £1.19m | | On-street spending£1.54mCar park income£4.12mCar park spending£1.82mPenalty income£1.19m | | | | | | | 2018–19Details | £3.58m | £1.63m | £4.65m | £1.99m | £1.73m | | On-street spending£1.63mCar park income£4.65mCar park spending£1.99mPenalty income£1.73m | | | | | | | 2019–20Details | £3.79m | £1.97m | £4.36m | £1.82m | £1.97m | | On-street spending£1.97mCar park income£4.36mCar park spending£1.82mPenalty income£1.97m | | | | | | | 2020–21Details | £1.95m | £2.52m | £1.43m | £2.19m | £1.06m | | On-street spending£2.52mCar park income£1.43mCar park spending£2.19mPenalty income£1.06m | | | | | | | 2021–22Details | £4.55m | £2.14m | £2.95m | £2.29m | £1.68m | | On-street spending£2.14mCar park income£2.95mCar park spending£2.29mPenalty income£1.68m | | | | | | | 2022–23Details | £5.66m | £2.34m | £3.54m | £2.17m | £1.73m | | On-street spending£2.34mCar park income£3.54mCar park spending£2.17mPenalty income£1.73m | | | | | | | 2023–24Details | £5.95m | £2.93m | £3.99m | £2.22m | £2.17m | | On-street spending£2.93mCar park income£3.99mCar park spending£2.22mPenalty income£2.17m | | | | | | | 2024–25Details | £4.75m | £2.38m | £4.54m | £2.65m | £1.71m | | On-street spending£2.38mCar park income£4.54mCar park spending£2.65mPenalty income£1.71m | | | | | | | 2025–26Details | £5.84m | £3.22m | £4.85m | £2.68m | £2.68m | | On-street spending£3.22mCar park income£4.85mCar park spending£2.68mPenalty income£2.68m | | | | | | 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. Reading UA is recorded as: Unitary Authority. ## What can Reading UA 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 Reading UA compare with other councils? **Reading UA among the England councils nearest it, parking surplus 2025–26** - 63. West Suffolk £4.95m - 64. Leicester City UA £4.91m - 65. Greater London Authority £4.89m - 66. Herefordshire UA £4.81m - ◆67. Reading UA £4.79m - 68. Oxford £4.49m - 69. Derby City UA £4.38m - 70. Portsmouth UA £4.35m - 71. Westmorland and Furness £4.30m England average: £4.83m ◆ Reading UA 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 | | --- | --- | | 63. West Suffolk | £4.95m | | 64. Leicester City UA | £4.91m | | 65. Greater London Authority | £4.89m | | 66. Herefordshire UA | £4.81m | | 67. Reading UA (Reading UA) | £4.79m | | 68. Oxford | £4.49m | | 69. Derby City UA | £4.38m | | 70. Portsmouth UA | £4.35m | | 71. Westmorland and Furness | £4.30m | 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 Reading: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/reading/) - [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.