Somerset Council has revealed in which of its car parks you are most likely to receive a fine.
The council generates income through parking fines - technically known as penalty charges, or PCNs - which are levied against motorists for a range of traffic offences, from overstaying in a pay and display car park to parking on double yellow lines.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the amount of income generated by PCNs has doubled from nearly £780,000 in 2020/21 to more than £1.5m in 2025/26.
The council has said that this income is spent on maintaining existing parking services, and officers do not expect this income to increase significantly in the coming years.
PCNs in Somerset are usually £50 for minor contraventions (e.g. overstaying a time limit or not paying for parking) and £70 for more serious issues (e.g. going through a bus gate or parking on a single or double yellow line).
In both instances, those who have been fined can see their penalty reduced by 50 per cent if they pay within 14 days of receiving the fine - bringing it down to £25 and £35 respectively.
Here are the ten car parks which generated the most fines in 2025/26:
1. The Crescent car park, Taunton - 1,368
the most common source of fines was The Crescent car park in Taunton town centre, opposite the council's headquarters.
The majority of offenders were penalised for "parking without clear display" (e.g. without their ticket on clear view) or remaining after payment had expired - with 100 tickets being issued for parking petrol or diesel cars in the electric vehicle charging spaces (which were installed in early-2023 as part of a £1m revamp of the car park).
2. Canon Street car park, Taunton - 1,288
This large car park, opposite the Princess Royal public house, is very popular due to its proximity to the town centre and fills up quickly whenever Somerset County Cricket Club is playing at home.
The majority of those who were penalised here received fines for "parking without clear display", with people overstaying after their time expired coming in a close second.
3. Orchard car park, Taunton - 1,260
This large multi-storey car park above the eponymous shopping centre regularly fills up on the weekends, being within easy reach of both town centre shops and Vivary Park.
While most of those fined parked "without clear display", a significant minority were penalised for parking "beyond the bay markings" (e.g. crossing the lines or taking up multiple spaces).
4. Cattle Market car park, Frome - 1,229
This sizeable car park in Frome town centre is frequently at capacity, being the nearest site to the Cheese and Grain venue and being well-played for the regular town centre markets.
The majority of offenders were penalised for "parking without clear display", though several were ticketed for parking in electric vehicle charging bays.
5. Kilkenny car park, Taunton - 1,078
This large car park lies to the north of Taunton railway station and serves as a popular alternative for passengers unable or unwilling to use the multi-storey car park on Trenchard Way.
The vast majority of offenders parked without properly displaying their ticket, with a select few being fined for staying after their parking expired (though we can't confirm whether this was due to trains being delayed).
6. High Street car park, Taunton - 936
This car park, opposite the Orchard multi-storey, was saved from being sold off by the council in February 2025 following a protest from local residents.
The majority parked without their ticket being properly displayed - while one unlucky patron was caught feeding the meter (i.e. extending their parking time in a bid to avoid a ticket).
7. Cork Street car park, Frome - 714
This car park lies just across the River Frome from the Cheese and Grain, and is only a short walk from the popular Westway cinema.
The majority of those fined were penalised for parking within disabled bays, with a sizeable minority being fined to parking on the nearby taxi rank.
8. Northside car park, Street - 691
This car park lies at the western side of the Clarks Village shopping centre, near the village's Next outlet and a short walk from the main High Street.
The majority of offenders were penalised for "parking without clear display", though several were ticketed for parking in disabled bays or across more than one space.
9. South Street car park, Wellington - 601
This popular car park lies within walking distance of Wellington town centre, along with the Baptist church and several local schools.
The majority of those fined received penalties for overstaying their allotted time, with one motorists receiving a ticket for parking on the nearby zebra crossing.
10. The Grange 1 (Clarks Village) car park, Street - 584
This car park is one of two at the entrance to Clarks Village, accessed off the recently resurfaced A39 Westway.
The offences committed in this car park varied greatly, from parking without clear display and drivers overstaying their allotted time to parking in disabled bays or across multiple spaces.
Somerset Council said that any funding raised from parking fines had to be reinvested in parking or associated services - meaning it cannot be used to fund adult social care, children's social care or any other work carried out by the local authority.
A spokesperson said: "Any surplus from parking penalties and parking charges is used to cover the costs of running parking services and meeting parking-related obligations.
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"Once these costs are met, any remaining surplus is generally restricted to purposes such as public transport, road and highway improvements, parking provision, and local environmental improvements, in line with the statutory framework in England.
"This is set out in the Traffic Management Act 2004, which refers to the underlying spending rules in Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
"We are not expecting penalty charge notice volumes to increase, and no increase has been built into the medium term financial plan."
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