Nearly £4 million has been made from parking permits so far this year.

In data revealed in a freedom of information (FOI) request submitted by The Argus, Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed that it had made £3,811,089.20 from parking permits from January to the end of July.

This was made up of £3,036,979.50 from residents' parking permits and a further £774,109.70 from visitors’ permits.

The data, from an FOI request submitted in September, is only from January 1 to July 26, “due to a change in IT system”, the council’s FOI team said.

In that period, more than 24,000 residents’ parking permits were issued. A further 13,392 permits were handed out for visitors.

It comes after The Argus revealed that the city council made £2.1 million in revenue from parking fines paid in the first half of 2023.

Residents’ parking permits cost up to £412.45 for a year in Brighton and Hove.

Zones M, Y and Z in the city centre cost the most, more or less corresponding with the ward boundaries of Brunswick and Adelaide, Regency and West Hill and North Laine.

Low-emission vehicles in these areas can get an annual permit for £178.85.

In most parts of the city, an annual permit is £193.45 for standard emission vehicles. Low-emission vehicle permits cost £146 in the same area, and high-emission permits £335.80.

Councillor Trevor Muten, chairman of the transport and sustainability committee said: “Most of the money we receive in parking fees and charges pays for the cost of parking enforcement.

“This is vital to keeping traffic flowing round the city and ensuring public safety and access.

“By law, any surplus generated must be spent on provision of public transport services or to road, air quality or environmental improvements.

“Our surplus pays for thousands of concessionary bus passes for older and disabled people.

 “It also supports bus routes that would otherwise not be commercially viable, and is used for transport schemes that promote safe, active and sustainable travel.

“A wider review of how the city charges for parking is currently taking place.

“The initial results of which are due to be presented to our transport and sustainability committee in December.”