Croydon council needs to fine more drivers to make up £10m shortfall, says director

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon council needs to make more money from parking and traffic fines to make up a shortfall in the department’s budget.

It said more new traffic cameras outside could help the authority address the £10 million hole.

Nick Hibberd, corporate director of sustainable communities, regeneration and economic recovery at Croydon, said there was a projected overspend of £15.4 million in the department of which £10 million relates to an “under-recovery of income”.

This includes parking charges, permits and fines related to parking and traffic offences.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s streets, environment and homes scrutiny committee, Mr Hibberd said the shortfall can be put down to fewer people using their cars post-pandemic and due to the economy.

He also said the council wasn’t “enforcing as much” and had struggled to recruit parking wardens.

The department head also blamed a delay in the rollout of the new Croydon Healthy Streets schemes, which were introduced at the weekend. Drivers now face fines of up to £130 for driving into nine streets in South Norwood, Addiscombe and Broad Green.

When asked how the deficit could be addressed, Mr Hibberd said more ‘school streets’ in the borough could make more money. This is where drivers face a £130 fine for entering roads outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times during term time.

Mr Hibberd added: “The majority of the budget, nearly 80 per cent, is income so when you have the situation where there is the under-recovery of income what we have to look is whether there are measures to mitigate that.

“We have been taking some measures like bringing forward consultations on school streets and we’ve been progressing that to mitigate income we may not be getting elsewhere.”

Pictured top: Sign for a school street in Croydon (Picture: Tara O’Connor)