A single street in Bournemouth has generated more than £24,000 in parking fines over the course of a year, according to data released under freedom of information laws. St Stephen’s Road, located about a 15-minute walk from Bournemouth Pier in the Dorset coastal town, saw 389 penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024.

The majority of fines on St Stephen’s Road were for parking in restricted areas, accounting for 135 notices, while 126 were issued for overstaying time limits. Other common violations included 29 for loading bay offences, 30 for waiting or unloading where prohibited, and six for parking in disabled bays. The remaining 14 tickets were for various other contraventions.

St Stephen’s Road was part of a government-approved trial which began last August, involving 543 streets and 29 car parks across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. The trial implemented increased penalty charges, with higher-level fines rising from £70 to £160 and lower-level penalties from £50 to £110, aligning these with London rates. Outside of London, standard council penalty charges have remained unchanged since 2008, and the trial required a special ministerial dispensation under the Traffic Management Act 2004. At the time, then-Transport Secretary Alexander authorized a one-month exemption from national rules in July 2023. The council is seeking approval for a repeat of the trial next month.

Richard Herrett, the council’s cabinet member responsible for parking, stated that existing restrictions on St Stephen’s Road have not been sufficient to deter illegal parking. He noted a significant reduction in the number of PCNs issued during the trial, with 27 fewer notices in August 2024 compared to the previous year, representing a 64% decrease. Herrett highlighted ongoing issues with obstructive parking affecting residents, businesses, and emergency vehicle access, particularly during the busy summer months. He argued that the evidence supports the effectiveness of tougher fines in addressing these problems.

Following the trial, the council submitted its findings to the Department for Transport, recommending either a nationwide increase in parking penalties outside London or the extension of the trial to involve multiple local authorities. However, Simon Lightwood, Labour MP for Wakefield & Rothwell and a minister within the Department for Transport, indicated in a recent written Commons response that the department had reviewed the trial’s results but currently has no plans to publish a formal evaluation.