SWINDON'S parking ticket hotspots can be revealed today.

The town's top ticket traps have been listed in data obtained under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act by the Adver.

The lists reveal the top 20 streets ranked by the number of tickets issued each year.

So far in 2015, the figures showed the total number of tickets issued was 8,056.

In 2014, the total was 21,573.

And in the 2014/15 financial year saw more than £630,000 paid in fines.

However, the numbers were down on previous years, with revenue for the 2012/13 financial year standing at £715,807 and in 2013/14 it totalled £756,391.

The number of tickets issued has also fallen, from 24,844 in 2012 and 24,189 in 2013.

Topping the table of most-ticketed streets so far in 2015 is Wood Street, in Old Town, with 626 tickets being issued.

The total is almost double the number issued in the second-placed area, Graham Street, which has seen 381 notices issued.

Swindon Borough Council said it was aware fines were not popular, but falling numbers showed enforcement was working to stop people parking illegally.

“We know that parking enforcement is never going to be top of most people’s favourite public services, but the alternative would be a compete free for all," said a spokesman.

"We wouldn’t need many accidents caused by dangerous parking or examples of emergency and delivery vehicles being blocked before there was a general call for something to be done."

He said the council employs 16 civil enforcement officers (CEOs) and two team leaders, numbers that have stayed the same for the past four years.

“We’re confident that every fine that is paid is legitimate, because every driver who gets a ticket is entitled to a free independent arbitration service if we reject their appeal and they still believe they have a case," the spokesman added.

"All the money is ploughed back into transport and not spent elsewhere, and we don’t have targets for our CEOs to meet.

“The fact that ticket numbers are reducing when the number of staff we have working on enforcement has stayed constant for the past few years suggests it is having a positive effect – we want to see the numbers going downwards, not upwards.”

Swindon Advertiser:

Kris Talikowski, owner of The Core juice bar, in Old Town, has been involved in a campaign for one-hour free parking to be put in place to help traders in the area.

He said as well as helping business, the move could also help quell the amount of illegal and anti-social parking in Old Town.

"If you're just popping in to places, in and out, on a frequent basis, you're prohibited from doing so (by parking fees)," he said.

"Especially during the day, it (free parking) is something that would help the Old Town economy."

The council spokesman added that although the fines brought money in to council coffers, the cost of the department, which features two team leaders as well as the 16 CEOs, was around the same level – around £750,000 per year – including salaries and technology used by the officers.

However, profit from parking charges at council-run car parks combined with fines topped £2.5 million in 2013/14, up from £2.1 million in 2012/13.

The figures are calculated by adding up income from charges and penalty notices, before running costs are deducted.

The top 20 so far in 2015 and number of tickets issued:

  • Wood Street - 626
  • Graham Street - 381
  • Davis Place - 336
  • Redcliffe Street - 319
  • Newhall Street - 280
  • Whiteman Street - 270
  • Ferndale Road - 248
  • The Square - 234
  • Henry Street - 200
  • Dixon Street - 178
  • Clifton Street - 170
  • Whitney Street - 161
  • Cricklade Road - 155
  • Beatrice Street - 151
  • Belle Vue Road - 129
  • Euclid Street - 74
  • Beckhampton Street - 64
  • Plymouth Street - 48
  • York Road - 34
  • Union Street - 27

The number of parking tickets issued in Swindon, per year, from 2012 to 2015 (so far):

2012 - 24844
2013 - 24189
2014 - 21573
2015 - 8056