Some of the UK’s most expensive shopping centre car parks have been revealed, with a new study showing that exorbitant parking fees are putting off millions of shoppers from using their local high street.

Across the nation some car parks are charging at much as £25 for just five hours, AA analysis has found. 

Although the car recovery company insisted these shocking fees, partly designed to encourage drivers to use Park and Ride and leave their vehicles on the outskirts, have hit retailers the hardest. 

The research revealed some eye-watering charges at major shopping centres across the UK, with Cambridge‘s Grand Arcade and Brighton Theatre leading the way at £26.40 and £24.75 for five hours of parking respectively.  

While Liverpool ONE wasn’t far behind, charging £16.50, and similarly Manchester’s Arndale Centre priced its parking at £15.60.

The AA’s research is part of a larger trend showing how high parking fees are accelerating the decline of the high street. 

Their survey of 11,000 motorists found that nearly half said they would be put off shopping if they had to pay more than £5 for parking.

Edmund King, the AA’s president, said: ‘Our research indicates that paying more than a fiver to park for a shopping trip will speed up the ‘death’ of the high street.’

Adding: ‘Even before visitors reach the shops, a sizeable chunk of each trip’s potential spending is being sucked out of wallets by exorbitant council and private parking fees.

‘Why drive shoppers out to retail parks or online and punish a diminishing number who still drive in?’

The research, conducted by the AA, revealed some eye-watering charges at major shopping centres across the UK, with Cambridge ‘s Grand Arcade (left) and Brighton Theatre (right) leading the way at £26.40 and £24.75 for five hours of parking respectively

While Liverpool ONE (left) wasn’t far behind, charging £16.50, and similarly Manchester’s Arndale Centre (right) priced its parking at £15.60.

Two new studies have found that extortionate parking charges are putting people off visiting the high street – one of the key reasons last year saw a 2.2% drop in footfall

King further elaborated that the majority of drivers simply won’t tolerate anything more than £1 an hour, with spending over £10 for a four- to five-hour parking stint being enough to deter nearly two-thirds of shoppers. 

Luke Bosdet, spokesman for the AA, told The Sun: ‘In too many towns, parking costs aren’t just bonkers – they’re utterly crackers.’

He continued, highlighting that while Park and Ride schemes effectively reduce city congestion and pollution, the situation changes on key shopping days: ‘Retailers, for whom Christmas trade can be make or break, need support – not having the carpet pulled from under them.’

Bosdet slammed prices like £15, £20, and £25 for a few hours of parking, calling them ‘a stretch in current times’ and urging councils and private operators to rethink their policies. 

He added: ‘The Government says it wants to rejuvenate town centres. The cost of shoppers’ parking is one of the places to start.’

The private parking industry also took a hit recently, with the industry pledging to scrap penalties for taking longer than five minutes to pay. 

However, the AA remains adamant that this will not be enough to ease the burden on drivers.

As many as three in five drivers in the UK have been deterred from visiting their local high streets due to escalating parking charges, according to a separate study from Direct Line business insurance. 

This matches findings from the British Retail Consortium, which reported that high streets and shopping centres struggled throughout 2024 as shoppers flocked to retail parks where parking is free.

Store closure figures were compiled by industry experts at the Centre for Retail Research

Boarded-up shops in Blackpool as more than 13,000 stores closed their doors for good in 2024

A map detailing what authorities are raising their parking fees and by how much also

Mark Summerville, SME product manager at Direct Line, remarked: ‘It’s clear many people do want to support their local shops and businesses but are being put off by the cost of parking. 

‘Keeping charges down, or lowering them, could help revive high streets, encourage local businesses to stay open and create additional employment—all of which may also boost council revenues.’

Research from Direct Line found that 42 per cent of drivers had seen parking fees rise sharply over the past year, while more than half of drivers stated they’d be more likely to visit a supermarket or out-of-town shopping centre with free parking instead of paying to park on the high street.

And the impact of online shopping is not to be underestimated. The rise in e-commerce has already been identified as a major factor in the decline of traditional high street retail, and the rising cost of parking is only accelerating this trend. 

A staggering 44 percent of respondents said they would rather shop online than pay for parking.

The trend is also being reflected in statistics. The British Retail Consortium’s report on retail foot traffic found a 2.2 per cent drop in overall retail visits in 2024 compared to the previous year, with rising parking fees contributing significantly to this decline.

Rows of boarded-up shops line the high street in Waterlooville, Hampshire

John Ohalloran, 54, a self-employed painter and decorator said he is now facing charges of up to £750 to park his van

This comes amid a growing backlash against what critics describe as anti-motorist policies. 

Local authorities are facing increasing pressure after introducing charges that often target vehicles based on fuel type or size.

Such as Lewisham Council, which is expected to make thousands of pounds from fining motorists by rolling out new controlled parking zones across the borough. 

While the prices vary, owners of the most-polluting diesel cars are now facing yearly charges of more than £300. Moreover for those with non-compliant vans, the costs can reach £750, locals have said.

There will also be parking charges for visitors to the area, which has raised separate concerns about the impact of restrictions on local businesses.

John Ohalloran, 54, a self-employed painter and decorator, told MailOnline: ‘I have a diesel van and I’m now facing charges of £750 to park my van outside of my own home.

‘This is a war on motorists. There has been the bus lanes and the LTNs [Low Traffic Neighbourhoods] and now this. It is a cash grab. Everybody is feeling the pinch at the moment. ‘

As high street retailers struggle to keep their doors open, there’s increasing pressure on local councils to reconsider their parking policies. 

With 82 per cent of respondents in the AA survey agreeing that councils should offer free parking to help save the high street, it seems that the future of the British high street could very well depend on a rethink of parking charges.