Car parking income across East Ayrshire is unlikely to return to pre-Covid levels as it was revealed it had dropped by more than a third.
Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) saw parking income across the area drop by £575,000 during the pandemic.
A spokesperson confirmed that the roads partnership had budgeted for £1.605 million in parking income — money that is then used for ARA's day-to-day operation.
However, the reality was that income was just over £1m, a fall of just under 36 per cent of the budgeted amount.
Councillor Iain Linton, SNP member for Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse, said: "I am conscious that, in a post-Covid world, the chances are that the parking income might not go back up to pre-Covid levels.
"What kind of contingency is there? Is there something we can keep an eye on?"
"We're geared up for 'x' amount of income every year and we know that is not going to happen.
The council's chief finance officer Joe McLachlan replied that there were certain issues related to the pandemic that would 'fade out' but admitted parking income levels would continue to be a problem.
He said: "We have an issue there and have been and will continue to discuss to see whether or not that income budget will ever come back.
"If it does not, we need to determine what action we would need to take in order to adjust that budget."
Depute chief executive Katie Kelly was more certain about the future.
She said: "We don't expect for that to come back the same way, in terms of income.
"We are carrying out an extensive redesign of ARA and will build in what that lost income might look like.
"That car parking income helps to keep ARA going and is a part of our expenditure. "
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