Oldham has seen the third highest increase in car parking prices of all councils in the country, according to new data.

Figures obtained by Churchill Motor Insurance through a Freedom of Information request have tracked the average hourly rates at council-run car parks across the UK.

The data has shown that Oldham Council is responsible for the third-highest price rise in percentage terms for average daytime hourly rates.

In Oldham, the average rate for an hour in the day increased from 88p to £1.66 over the last two years, the third highest of all 398 councils in the UK.

READ MORE: Cheapest places to park in Oldham town centre revealed

Oldham was surpassed only by Sandwell Council in the West Midlands, which increased from 40p an hour to 98p an hour on average, and Renfrewshire Council in Scotland, which rose from 60p to £1.25.

The average daytime hourly rates across the country have increased by 11 per cent over the two years, from £1.15 to £1.29, while Oldham's increase represented an 88.6 per cent rise.

An Oldham Council spokesman said: “Almost every council in the country charges for parking and we understand people do not want to pay for it and how unpopular increases are.

“But any increase in charges isn’t about raising money for the council.

“The parking service has to be funded and by law, any surplus money generated by parking fees and charges must be spent on improving public transport, road safety schemes and air quality or environmental improvements.

"This includes helping to maintain our roads, pavements and cycle routes and fixing potholes and other improvements. The costs of carrying out these works have all increased in recent years.

“If you can we would also encourage people to avoid paying for parking by using public and alternative forms of transport as this is better for the environment.”

A number of free car parks can be found throughout the borough.

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While the average daytime hourly rates have increased by 11 per cent throughout the country, the average overnight hourly rates for council-run car parks have soared by 45 per cent since 2022, from £1.10 to £1.59.

Head of Churchill Motor Insurance Nicholas Mantel said: “We know that increased parking charges aren’t all about raising money for councils.

“Often, they are also put in place as a traffic management measure, encouraging people to use alternative transport options."

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “Parking charges are a tool for managing congestion, not for shoring up local authority budgets.

“Money might be tight for town and city halls but the same could be said for drivers and businesses too."