Council rakes in more than £120k in parking fines outside Greater Manchester hospital

Wigan Council has brought in more than £120,000 in the last five years from ticketing people parked illegally outside the town's largest hospital.

The authority has collected £122,891 from tickets issued on roads outside the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, according to a Freedom of Information request (FOI). Council officers issued 5,111 fines between the start of 2018 and the end of 2022.

In 2022 alone, the council issued £36,968 worth of fines. The data covers parking on Wigan Lane, Bellingham Drive, Clifton Crescent, Bellingham Mount, and Kingsmede.

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In the last year, parking permits have been slowly re-introduced for NHS workers at trusts across the country, following the pausing of charges during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council says parking enforcement is ‘necessary’ in order to keep the busy area clear of obstructions for emergency vehicles.

Dave Lyon, assistant director of environment and housing repairs at Wigan Council, said: “The roads around Royal Albert Edward Infirmary are among the busiest in our borough and parking enforcement is necessary to keep the area from free obstruction by ensuring all car users park in a compliant, safe and responsible way.”

The hospital trust, which runs the infirmary, says it recognises there are problems with parking outside the hospital and is looking into alternative methods for parking.

Tabitha Gardner, chief finance officer at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “WWL fully recognises the need for additional car parking for both staff and visitors. With this in mind, WWL and Wigan Council are looking