A town near Birmingham has emerged as a hotspot for penalty charge notices (PCNs) in the West Midlands, with new data showing a substantial rise in income from fines over recent years. Solihull Council reported earnings of £754,714 from PCNs during the 2025/26 financial year, marking a 25.26% increase compared to £602,507 in 2021/22.
Though Solihull’s income from fines was the second highest in the West Midlands, Coventry City Council experienced an even greater rise, recording a 52.04% increase in PCN revenue over the same period. Despite these local increases, the West Midlands' figures remain below the national average, where councils saw an overall 58% growth in penalty charge earnings from 2021/22 to 2025/26.
Penalty charge notices in the region are issued for various offences including parking on double yellow lines, dropping litter such as cigarettes, or driving in bus lanes. Across the UK, millions of such fines are issued annually, generating significant income for local authorities.
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Nationally, East Renfrewshire Council recorded the highest increase in PCN income, jumping from £27,872 in 2021 to £221,985 in 2026, a 696.44% increase.
These findings follow Freedom of Information requests submitted by NetVoucherCodes.
A spokesperson for Solihull Council commented on the rise in PCNs: “The number of Penalty Charge Notices issued on streets and in car parks across Solihull has steadily increased from 23,000 in 2021/22 to 31,000 in 2025/26.”
They added: “This trend reflects a year-on-year rise in drivers entering town centres since the pandemic, partly due to more employees returning to offices and an increase in car ownership. Consequently, additional parking restrictions have been introduced to enhance safety and manage rising traffic volumes.”
The spokesperson also highlighted how the penalty charge income is utilised: “Funds raised from PCNs are reinvested into maintaining our car parks, upgrading parking machines, supporting various highway improvement schemes, and covering enforcement expenses.”