Ealing Council's Parking Fine Revenue Surges
Up by 30% compared with previous year to £5.7million
A Greener Ealing parking attendant
April 9, 2025
Ealing Council made almost £6 million from parking fines in 2024, new data shows. It comes as the council is currently in dispute with traffic wardens over allegations of ‘ticketing targets’ and ‘rip-off charges’ – something the council denies.
In 2024, the London Borough of Ealing made £5,716,120 from issuing 142,903 PCNs (Penalty Charge Notices), which is a sharp rise on 2023. In 2023, Ealing Council issued 89,618 PCNs, making £4.4 million.
According to the council, the reason for the increase in PCNs issued is a combination of better technology and more enforcement where parking is ‘prohibited or dangerous’. The council says it also monitors Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) ‘more efficiently’ using automatic number plate recognition – which can also check the validity of disabled badges.
In comparison to other outer London boroughs, Ealing places second. Waltham Forest accounts for the highest amount of revenue from parking fines – issuing 158,440, creating £6.3 million in revenue. Merton comes third with a total revenue of £4.4 million made from 110,017 PCNs issued.
The rise came despute two rounds of industrial action during 2024 by Ealing traffic wardens. They took strike action from 27 August to 18 September and 7 October to 3 November. Unite the Union said that Ealing Council's use of agency workers to mitigate the strike's impact contributed to the decision to extend industrial action.
Staff have been in dispute with the council for several months over union membership and alleged ticketing targets. Ealing Council has refused to recognise Unite as the wardens’ union; however, it rejects any claim of ticketing targets.
On Monday, 7 April, parking fines across Ealing increased from £130 to £160. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called out Ealing Council for the increase, which she says puts traffic wardens at risk.
She said, “Greener Ealing and Ealing Council aren’t just union-busting — they’re putting workers in danger while ripping off residents.”
On Friday,4 April, and Saturday, 5 April, protests were held outside the surgeries of elected councillors. The current round of strikes began on 12 March and is scheduled to end on 12 April. However, Unite has insisted industrial action ‘will intensify’ if the dispute is not resolved.
Unite says that since industrial action began, four wardens have been sacked on ‘trumped-up charges’ while taking strike action—however, Greener Ealing has denied this.
A Greener Ealing Spokesperson said, “The allegations that GEL sacked four traffic wardens on ‘trumped up charges’ is completely untrue.
“We do not take dismissals lightly, and we categorically deny that we have dismissed anyone for any reasons related to strikes or union activity.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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