Somerset Council has revealed the streets on which you are most likely to receive a parking ticket.
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.
The council has separately revealed the top ten car parks for parking fines - of which five are in Taunton, two each are in Frome and Street, and one is in Wellington.
Here are the ten Somerset streets which generated the most parking fines in 2025/26:
1. A3027 East Street, Taunton - 1,068
East Street is a key section of Taunton's main shopping area, and includes the town's Primark store, the Perkin Warbeck pub and one of the town's McDonald's outlets.
Many of the fines issued here related to motorists not clearly displaying their tickets, or parking in restricted areas.
2. Albemarle Road, Taunton - 808
This largely residential street north of the A3038 Station Road is also home to the Albemarle Centre community hub, and provides a link to the Belvedere trading estate.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of offences recorded here related to parking in restricted area (e.g. on yellow lines) or in a resident's space.
3. A3027 Fore Street, Taunton - 657
Fore Street provides a focal point for the town centre, including the Chapel Tap, the Santander bank and the Pandora store.
Offences recorded here range from parking in restricted spaces and loading areas to parking in the nearby taxi ranks.
4. A38 East Reach, Taunton - 623
East Reach is one of Taunton's busiest streets at peak time, providing a key link between the town centre and the M5 via the Toneway and Creech Castle.
The overwhelming majority of tickets issued on this street were for people parking in restricted areas, with the street having long sections of single- or double-yellow lines.
5. A3027 North Street, Taunton - 566
North Street includes a wide range of shops, including the former Debenhams store (which could soon be completely redeveloped) and provides an access to Taunton's independent quarter.
Many of the fines issued here related to parking in restricted areas or one of the many loading bays.
6. St Mary Street, Bridgwater - 559
St Mary Street runs past the grade one listed church of the same name, and is part of the Bridgwater Carnival procession route.
A majority of the parking offences committed here related to drivers parking in either taxi ranks or loading bays.
7. Hammet Street, Taunton - 493
This narrow street connects Taunton's main shopping area to Taunton Minster, a proud fixture of the town since the middle ages.
Many of the offences recorded here relate to motorists parking in taxi spaces, wrongfully utilising disabled parking bays or parking in a loading bay.
8. Magdalene Street, Taunton - 452
Magdalene Street provides a key link between the town centre and a number of residential streets to the west of Victoria Park.
The parking fines levied out on this street typically referred to parking in restricted areas or cars remaining there after their permitted time had expired.
9. The Avenue, Minehead - 449
The Avenue is the main shopping street in Minehead town centre, and includes the Avenue Cinema, Minehead Methodist Church and a range of pubs and restaurants.
The offences on this street were wide-ranging, from parking in taxi ranks or suspended areas to staying longer than permitted.
10. South Street, Taunton - 431
South Street connects the Holway area of Taunton to the town centre via East Reach, and includes Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School.
Many of the offences committed here relate to motorists parking in restricted areas - though very few appeared to have flouted the one-way system.
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."
