SOUTH Lakeland District Council (SLDC) was among the highest-earning authorities in terms of car park income last year, figures have shown.

According to new data, SLDC had the 73rd highest surplus of the 353 local authorities in England at £2,828,000 for 2016/17 - an increase of approximately £900,000 on the year before.

But SLDC contests this figure, saying that it is too high.

In total, English councils made a record £819 million from their parking operations in the last financial year. The figure for 2016-17 is 10 per cent higher than the £744 million made in the previous financial year. It is also £37 million above what councils themselves had forecast for 2016-17.

The findings come from analysis for the RAC Foundation by transport consultant David Leibling from the official returns that councils make annually to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

“We had a car parking revenue surplus of £2,338,000 in 2016/17 and not the higher figure published by the RAC Foundation," said a spokesperson for SLDC.

“We have not increased pay-and-display parking prices since 2012 and the charges continue to represent good value for money.

“Revenue from off-street car parking is used to provide and maintain car parks and the surplus makes a significant contribution to the funding of essential council services.

“We operate busy car parks in areas which attract tourists, both in the Lake District National Park and in the towns and villages on the fringes of it which are very popular with visitors. An increase in visitor numbers in South Lakeland in 2016 undoubtedly contributed to a rise in revenue collected from parking.

“As a council, we recognise that our car parks play an important role in supporting the local economy and the vibrancy of our towns and villages across the district. Future investment in parking provision will be considered as part of our wider expenditure priorities.”

The spokesperson added that any major disparity between the 2016/17 figure and the preceding year was likely to be down to a drop in visitors in the immediate aftermath of Storm Desmond in December 2015.