BALLERUP car park in East Kilbride tops the table as South Lanarkshire Council’s biggest earning car park.

Drivers spent £168,712 in the car park in 2018-19 as it claimed top spot from Duke Street in Hamilton.

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed that SLC raked in £1.9 million in car park fees last year which equates to a £1.6 million profit once VAT has been deducted.

Since 2016-17, the council has seen car park charges totaling over £5.75 million – with a post VAT profit just over of £4.8 million.

Overall income from car park charges in South Lanarkshire has increased by 0.2 per cent from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

Revenue at Duke Street has fallen by 17.7 per cent since 2016-17 to £165,699 while the total intake at Ballerup grew by 13.2 per cent over the same period.

The council’s third highest earning car park was Brandon Street in Hamilton which brought in £60,306 and fees at the Civic Centre car park in East Kilbride earned £38,645.

Lower Auchingramont Road in Hamilton took in £33,621 while the car park at Auchingramont Road brought in £17,135 last year.

However, the system used for charging car park users by South Lanarkshire Council doesn’t record the total charges for every individual car park.

The remaining paid car parks under the local authority’s control – including five in Hamilton, eight in East Kilbride and one in Rutherglen – took in £638,308 last year, up by 1.2 per cent on 2016-17.

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Head of Roads and Transportation Services, Gordon Mackay, said: “Charges are made in council car parks to allow suitable turnover within town centres.

“This ensures more desirable spaces are not taken up all day, for example by commuters or employees, and helps our town centres to thrive.

“On the periphery of our town centres some car parks offer long-stay parking for a reduced fee.

“The income the council receives from parking pays for the service provided to law-abiding motorists.”