Parking charges in my local area have gone up 233% in a MONTH

An outraged motorist has complained after discovering his parking charges on a London street had risen by nearly 250% in just a month.

Tony Gambrill paid £12.64 for 4 hours parking in London Bridge in March – but when he parked there again in April, it turned out that the same parking session now cost £29.20.

This represents a 231% increase in four weeks – or about 20 times current inflation per year.

Tony, 58, said: ‘When people struggle to make a living, this is just incredibly insensitive – and it shows how guessing can get out of hand. If this had been an increase in the price of a Mars bar or something, there would have been outrage.”

The sales manager added: ‘To make matters worse, when I complained to Southwark Council about this I got a response suggesting that this was somehow to help the environment – rather than ordinary people to light up.’

In response, Southwark Councilor Catherine Rose told MailOnline: ‘Our parking charges reflect the impact cars have on our streets’

The reply received by Mr Gambrill reads: ‘Parking fees and charges have been set to encourage a reduction in the overall number of vehicles and a reduction in polluting vehicles in Southwark. This is in support of the Air Quality Action Plan, the Climate Plan and the Action Plan of the Council. These fees and costs have been agreed by the cabinet and subject to examination by the full council.’

Receipts emailed to Mr Gamrill show that his four-hour session to park his Volvo SUV off Boss Street, off Tooley Street in London Bridge in Southwark on March 21 from 8.26am cost him £12.64.

When he returned to the same spot to park exactly one month later – and four minutes later in the day – he was charged £29.20 this time.

He told MailOnline: ‘I don’t drive in London for fun, but because my livelihood depends on it. I have a network of eight offices all over the city,

‘I’ve noticed prices go up from say £5 to £6 an hour earlier, but this just seemed ridiculous – that the amount had more than doubled in just a month.

“I regularly drive and pay to park in several London boroughs – in Lambeth, where I live, in Southwark where this happened, but also in Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea and so on.

“And I don’t think I’ve ever come across such prices.

“It looks like prices are going up across the board, but to raise them by that much is just crazy.

‘There was all kinds of outrage about the energy price increases, but this increase is proportionally even higher.

“And then they have the audacity to suggest that this is somehow meant to be environmentally friendly rather than just a way to fill the coffers.”

Mr Gambrill is frustrated with the increase in parking charges and said he doesn’t think he has ‘ever encountered such prices’

Mr Gambrill added: ‘I have since learned that there is a private undercover car park a short distance from Boss Street where it costs £30 to park for 24 hours – so the amount Southwark is charging is not even realistic in terms of the market. .

“What are they going to do for revenue if people just stop paying to park?”

In response, Southwark councilor Catherine Rose, cabinet member for leisure, parks, streets and clean air, told MailOnline: ‘The majority of our residents do not own or have access to a car. Our parking fees reflect the impact cars have on our streets.

Parking permits and other charges are designed to help vulnerable road users, give priority to resident parking and access for local businesses.

“Parked cars take up valuable sidewalk space that can be used for the other things people want on their street. We have a range of parking discounts and exemptions for those who need them.

‘Many car journeys are short and can be done on foot or by bicycle instead. We invest to make walking and cycling easier for everyone who can. Fewer car journeys reduce traffic jams, improve road safety and reduce air pollution.’