Here's how much money Northampton General Hospital has made in 'unpopular' parking charges since 2020

New data has revealed Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has made £2.2million in parking revenue in the last few years – with nearly £1million of that coming in the last year alone.

This newspaper submitted a freedom of information request asking NGH how much money it has made in parking revenue dating back to 2020.

The data reveals a remarkable progression in parking revenue year on year.

In 2020/21, the hospital generated £26,878 from parking fees.

The revenue significantly increased to £692,027 in 2021/22.

Continuing the upward trend, 2022/23 saw a substantial rise to £903,069.

As of the current date in 2023/24, the year-to-date parking revenue is £577,193.

The cumulative revenue from parking fees for the years 2020/21 through the year-to-date of 2023/24 has reached just under £2.2million.

A spokesman for NGH said: “During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic income from car parking fell dramatically due to a wide variety of changes to normal operations including the suspension of visiting, virtual outpatient and other appointments, and free car parking for staff.

“Income from car parking has increased as restrictions have eased but is still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The trust continues to use this income to maintain and improve the car park, and its associated grounds, including paying for security, staffing, and future investment in technology for the car parks to enable appropriate access to the site for all.

“Charging and enforcing parking regulations is understandably unpopular but it is necessary because having free and unregulated car parking for all would lead to significant increased traffic on site, inappropriate parking, and result in significant reductions in parking availability for patient, visitors and staff. An availability which is already under strain, especially given our proximity to the town centre.

“To offset the impact of charging we do have arrangements for free car parking for specific groups and concessionary rates for some visitors, including weekly parking tickets.

“We have also changed our charging arrangements to make them more flexible. This includes some hourly rates rather than the historic three hourly increments in charging which enables a lesser spend for some patients/visitors.

“We haven’t increased our charges for many years and our rates are comparable with other trusts across the country. Our charges are always listed on our website and on the machines and signage in our car parks.”

The spokesman added that pre-pandemic income from car parking was about £1.8million per year.

NGH’s current parking fee structure is as follows: for the first hour, the charge is £1.10, followed by £2.20 for 1 to 2 hours and £3.30 for 2 to 3 hours. Longer stays from 3 to 6 hours incur a charge of £5.20, and a full-day rate (6 to 24 hours) is set at £10.

Overstaying without a valid ticket may result in a parking charge notice, with the penalty set at £80, reduced to £40 if paid within the first 14 days.

NGH has been asked to confirm whether staff have to pay for parking.