Fighting for a space

Chris Rosamond
Updated: 01 November 2023

Which UK towns and cities have the best parking provision? We've explored NCP parking data to uncover which major towns and cities excel or struggle with parking accessibility.

Which UK towns and cities have the best parking provision?

In the UK, cars are an essential part of daily life. Whether that's commuting to work, doing the weekly shop, or picking the kids up from school. Yet, finding a parking space can be challenging.

For those looking to buy a new car, whether outright or through car finance, convenient parking is a crucial consideration.

To address this, we've explored NCP parking data to uncover which major towns and cities excel or struggle with parking accessibility. We've also analysed average parking costs to reveal the most budget-friendly parking destinations.

Town/City	Total NCP Car Parks	Total NCP Parking Spaces	Average Spaces per Car Park	Licensed Cars	Spaces per 1,000 Cars
Cambridge	5	1,894	379	41,400	45.75
Manchester	27	7,632	283	170,200	44.84
Glasgow	17	7,587	446	209,100	36.28
Colchester	4	2,938	735	95,200	30.86
Ipswich	11	1,826	166	62,700	29.12
Leicester	13	3,833	295	158,700	24.15
Birmingham	14	9,217	658	417,000	22.10
Cardiff	9	3,226	358	149,800	21.54
Bolton	12	2,742	229	128,400	21.36
Liverpool	19	3,282	173	160,100	20.50

The UK towns and cities with the most available parking

Total NCP Parking Spaces

Licensed Cars

Spaces per 1,000 Cars

Cambridge

1,894
41,400
45.75

Manchester

7,632
170,200
44.84

Glasgow

7,587
209,100
36.28

Town/City	Total NCP Car Parks	Total NCP Parking Spaces	Average Spaces per Car Park	Licensed Cars	Spaces per 1,000 Cars
Chester	2	86	43	193,200	0.45
Exeter	1	74	74	64,500	1.15
London	19	4,399	232	2,602,700	1.69
Crawley	2	92	46	53,900	1.71
Gloucester	5	126	25	64,500	1.95
Bradford	1	432	432	216,200	2.00
Bournemouth	5	462	92	198,600	2.33
Preston	5	166	33	63,900	2.60
Stoke-on-Trent	4	301	75	112,100	2.69
Stratford-upon-Avon	1	247	247	88,000	2.81

The UK towns and cities where it's most difficult to find parking

Total NCP Parking Spaces

Licensed Cars

Spaces per 1,000 Cars

Chester

86
193,200
0.45

Exeter

74
64,500
1.15

London

4,399
2,602,700
1.69

Town/City	Average Car Park Cost (08:30 - 17:30)
Bolton	£3.85
Wolverhampton	£5.20
Derby	£5.95
Ipswich	£8.28
Portsmouth	£9.95
Lincoln	£10.95
Southampton	£10.95
Colchester	£11.95
Coventry	£11.95
Dundee	£11.95

The cheapest UK towns and cities to park your car

Average Car Park Cost

Bolton

£ 3.85

Wolverhampton

£ 5.20

Derby

£ 5.95

Town/City	Average Car Park Cost (08:30 - 17:30)
London	£36.26
Brighton	£32.95
Edinburgh	£29.95
Birmingham	£26.66
Bristol	£25.95
Manchester	£25.21
Salford	£24.85
Leicester	£24.34
Cardiff	£22.29
Newcastle upon Tyne	£20.95

The most expensive UK towns and cities to park your car in

Average Car Park Cost

London

£ 36.26

Brighton

£ 32.95

Edinburgh

£ 29.95