Car parking income across East Ayrshire is unlikely to return to pre-Covid levels as it was revealed it had dropped by more than a third.

Ayrshire Roads Alliance saw parking income drop by more than a third during the recent pandemic.

A spokesperson confirmed that the roads partnership had budgeted for £1.605m in parking income – money that is then used for ARA’s day to day operation.

However, the reality was that income was just over £1m, with a  loss of £575,000 – just under 36 per cent of the budgeted amount.

Councillor Iain Linton said: “I am conscious that, in a post-Covid world, the chances are that the parking income might not go back up to pre-Covid levels.

“What kind of contingency is there? Is there something we can keep an eye on?”

EAC chief finance officer Joe McLachlan replied that there were certain issues related to the pandemic that would ‘fade out’ but admitted parking income levels would continue to be a problem.

He said: “We have an issue there and have been and will continue to discuss to see whether or not that  income budget will ever come back.

“If it does not, we need to determine what action we would need to take.”