Labour is facing a political row over plans to expand car park surveillance and give councils greater powers to fine drivers.
Blueprints drawn up by the Department for Transport include proposals to let local authorities install numberplate recognition cameras in car parks.
The plans were uncovered through a Freedom of Information request by the Conservatives, after ministers repeatedly refused to release the document. It reportedly stated that the new measures would be needed in “affluent” areas, such as seaside towns.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden branded the proposals a “shameful war on motorists”. He told The Telegraph: “From slashing road-improvement funding, hiking road use tolls and now drawing up a snoopers charter of CCTV parking enforcement, it is clear Labour is desperately trying to fill the black hole Rachel Reeves has created by squeezing every penny from drivers.
“Motorists should not be facing a phalanx of spy parking cameras trying to catch them out at every turn. The last Conservative government banned this, and we will fight Labour on its plans to introduce it every step of the way.”
Labour has insisted it is “firmly on the side of drivers”, despite earlier this year refusing to rule out increases to parking charges. The party has also faced criticism from the Road Haulage Association for what it described as a “lack of prioritising new-roads investment”.
It comes after it was revealed in May that drivers outside London could face a hike of up to 75 per cent in parking fines — from £70 to more than £120. In London, the cap is already higher at £110 or £160.
Transport minister Lilian Greenwood admitted in a parliamentary written question that the Government was “reviewing” the penalty cap for councils outside the capital.
Councils in England and Wales have already been raking in record sums from fines. In 2023/24 they collectively made more than £1 billion in profit from parking penalties, meaning a hike of 75 per cent could boost coffers by hundreds of millions of pounds.
The British Parking Association (BPA) has backed calls for higher fines, saying: “We have been working with the LGA to bring to ministers’ attention that, outside of London, penalty charge notices are too low and have remained unchanged for over 15 years. They are no longer fit for purpose as a deterrent.”
The Department for Transport insisted no decision has been made on raising caps. A spokesman said: “The Government is firmly on the side of drivers, focusing on making journeys safer, smoother and saving drivers money.
“The funding settlement to deliver the roads investment strategy represents an almost £3bn increase on a like-for-like basis over the final funding for 2020-25.”
