Bedford council tight-lipped on parking permit questions as figures reveal it's collected more than £450k

And finding a straight answer from the council about what’s going on appears to be harder than finding an empty space on a Saturday afternoon.

According to figures obtained by cinch, the online used car retailer, the borough council has collected £462,518 from residential parking permits since 2020.

Over the same period, the price of a first permit rose by a wallet-thinning 28 per cent — from £25 in 2020 to just over £32 today.

Second and third permits have also increased, with third permits now costing £120.40 — nearly five times the original cost of a first permit back in 2020.

Meanwhile, the number of permits issued has increased by 16 per cent in five years, rising from 2,587 in 2020 to 3,005 in 2024.

The biggest surge came between 2022 and 2023, when demand jumped by more than 10 per cent.

But despite issuing more permits, revenue actually dropped by 18 per cent between 2023 and 2024.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked the council why — along with several other questions about Controlled Parking Zones — on April 3.

So far, we’re still waiting for answers.

Our unanswered questions include:

• Whether the surge in permits was due to more Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), an increase in HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation), or something else
• Why revenue is falling when the number of permits is rising
• What benefits borough residents get from CPZs, given that a permit doesn’t guarantee a space
• Whether even more CPZs are in the pipeline over the next 24 months

Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, said: “Parking permits can be great for making sure residents have somewhere to park near their homes, but there should be a balance between affordability and accessibility.

“Our research shows that parking permits are getting more expensive across the UK, putting extra financial strain on residents already dealing with rising living costs.”