ENFIELD Council plans to hike parking charges despite increasing its takings from fines by 42 per cent last year, it has emerged.

It is one of three London councils to report a rise in income from parking and motoring offences in 2009-2010 — despite issuing fewer tickets.

Enfield, Sutton and Havering councils all took more money from motorists, contrary to trends across London.

Enfield's takings went up from £600,000 to £850,000, while the number of fines issued dropped from 111,414 to 94,428.

The council blamed the disparity on overdue payment of parking fines from previous years.

It justified its proposed hike in parking charges on a rise in the cost of the Freedom Pass, which this year increased from £8.2m to £9.12m.

The council's parking revenue account has run a deficit of £371,000 for the past three years and is being supported by the council’s general account.

The new parking prices would bring the council in line with most other London boroughs. Fifteen minutes of on-street parking would double from 20p to 40p and 30 minutes would increase from 50p to 80p.

Enfield was one of 22 of the 34 London bodies responsible for parking enforcement that responded to an Evening Standard survey.