MORE than £600,000 was paid out in fines by motorists in Salisbury last year. 

The Journal can reveal the Salisbury streets where most fines were handed out following a successful Freedom of Information request.

The authority collected a total of £637,910 from 18,915 penalty charge notices (PCNS) in 2022 - £617,883 from on-street parking and £20,027 from off-street.

January saw the highest total of £62,833 including £1,438 from off-street PCNs while the council collected just £41,346 in December.

Winchester Street was highlighted as the most-fined street in the city as 314 PCNs were handed out there last year.

Castle Street had a close second with 285 fines dished out while 238 offences were recorded on Silver Street.

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The remaining seven streets with the most PCNs included Blue Boar Row (181), Scots Lane (166), New Canal Service Road (166), Brown Street (158), Minster Street (150), Chipper Lane (146) and Milford Street (134).

Comparatively, Wiltshire Council issued 24,168 parking PCNs, totalling £722,784, the year before.

Parking fines issued by the council are typically £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, but they can be challenged within 28 days.

Councillor Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We only issue parking charge notices as a last resort to keep traffic moving and keep motorists and pedestrians safe. Our first response is to engage with motorists and ask them to move along.

“In accordance with legislation, any surplus generated from the administration of parking services is used to fund transport services such as park and ride and rural buses.”